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Tampa to build its first 'green' fire station
Tampa Tribune, Fla. (August 6, 2008)Aug. 6--NEW TAMPA -- Tampa Fire Rescue will build the city's first "green" fire station on Cross Creek Boulevard in New Tampa.
"We were up there July 29," Fire Chief Dennis Jones said. "It's a really nice piece of property, and it's a great location."
Mayor Pam Iorio earmarked $4 million of Community Investment Tax revenue in 2006 to add two fire stations in New Tampa, but it has taken two years to strike a deal for the first site, a 7.9-acre tract three miles east of Station 21.
"It feels great," Iorio said. "When we build this station, it will be the first green building since we adopted our new ordinance."
The city council approved a green construction ordinance in June that offers incentives to developers and requires all new municipal buildings to meet new environmental standards.
The city will pay $750,000 for the land to developer Bing Kearny, who built the Cross Creek Center across the street. Jones said the majority of the land is wetlands, but there are about 2.5 usable acres. The station should open by early 2010.
"We're planning, when it opens, to have an engine and a ladder truck," Jones said. "But it's likely the ladder truck will be moved to Station 21, because it's more centrally located, and we'll move a brush truck to the new station."
Brush fires are a frequent problem in that part of the city during the dry season, Jones said. A 2006 brush fire charred nearly 10 acres just north of Cross Creek and threatened several houses. A dozen trucks from three departments were required to bring it under control.
Brush trucks are four-wheel-drive vehicles with 1,000-gallon tanks that can access all kinds of terrain.
City Architect James Jackson said the new station will meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards by preserving wetlands and using eco-friendly materials from local vendors. The new station will utilize roofing material that reduces heating and cooling costs, be landscaped with native plants and maximize the use of natural light.
The station is fully funded and would likely create 30 new positions, Jones said. It will reduce the department's response times to neighborhoods such as Heritage Isles, Cory Lake Isles and Easton Park.
"That's great news," said Steve Stark, chairman of the Heritage Isles Community Development District.
Said Jones, "I'm a New Tampa resident myself, so I'm excited about it."
The chief is scouting locations for Station 23. "We want to be near Grand Hampton and The Hammocks," he said.
Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 865-4844 or lkinsler@tampatrib.com.
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