Re-locating Station #1

Several weeks ago, the Sylvania Township Fire Chief and Township Administrator appeared before Sylvania City Council's Safety Committee, presenting to the public for the first time a proposed location for Fire Station #1, at the corner of Monroe and Parkwood. I had pledged during the levy campaign to work with the city on relocating Station #1 so that city officials were comfortable with the service level they would be receiving. To be clear, while Station #1 has been historically located in the city, all four stations service various areas of the city for fire and medical emergencies, thus maintaining quality services throughout the township and city. But I know certain city officials and residents were concerned with the placement of a station within the city, and I agreed to work with them on the issue.

Going back to the first of the year, township staff met repeatedly with city officials to identify potential locations for Station #1. Each location that was suggested by city officials was reviewed for a variety of factors, including availability, cost, affect on response times, access, building footprint, and location in relation to our other stations (as well as other factors). Location after location was eliminated because one of these factors was not acceptable for a suggested site. The location at Monroe and Parkwood was initially disregarded by me as being too close to a residential neighborhood. But after eliminating virtually all other locations, officials from the City of Sylvania requested that we again look at the viability of this location.

So, our administrator and fire chief brought the idea back to the Trustees and we agreed, but acknowledged that we would need to keep open communications with the city officials and residents and we did so as much as possible.

The meeting with the Safety Committee was not the first time the city council members had been approached regarding the proposed location at Monroe and Parkwood. On an individual basis, trustees met with one or two city council members, so that everyone had an opportunity to voice their support or concern for this proposed location. After having received verbal support from all but one city council member, trustees directed our administration to move forward with contract negotiations. Once we had the property under contract, we arranged to have our staff appear before city council's Safety Committee to introduce the proposed location to the public.

Needless to say, the public did not embrace this proposed location for a new fire station. I am certainly disappointed - this location addressed numerous safety issues for our community and the township spent a lot of time and professional expense in reviewing this site and negotiating an acceptable purchase agreement, based on the verbal approval we received from a majority of city council and other city officials. But I am not going to force this location on neighbors who do not want it. Many at the meeting thought this was 'a done deal', but in truth we have proceeded slowly and have not reached a point of no-return.

Sylvania Township did not go down the road of placing a fire station near a residential neighborhood blind to the response of residents. We proceeding with the support and approval of almost every city official we spoke with regarding this location. We have since rejected the tentative purchase contract for the Monroe and Parkwood location. I am not hopeful that an alternative site can be found within the time limitations that we have and I expect that we will be rebuilding Station #1 at its current location in downtown Sylvania. Rebuilding at the current locations has some inherent disadvantages, but we will work with them to continue to provide top-rate fire and EMS service to the Sylvania community.

A Last Resort - Eminent Domain

One of the great freedoms of our country is the freedom to own property. This right is enumerated in the Fifth Amendment of our Constitution, where it states that private property shall not be taken for public use, without just compensation. The right of private property is one that I hold dear and value as it is the foundation of our society and economy. In action today as a township trustee, I voted to authorize our legal counsel to start eminent domain proceedings against private property owners. I do not take this action lightly; it was a difficult decision but ultimately it was necessary in order to preserve the safety and welfare of the Sylvania community.


For the last six months, the Sylvania Township Trustees have worked diligently to secure and prepare a new location for Fire Station #3, currently located at Monroe and Whiteford. The last remaining roadblock to construction of this new facility is the ability to hook in to the county sanitary sewer system. To do this, we need access, commonly called an easement, across a neighboring property in order to reach the sanitary sewer.


Unfortunately, owners of several neighboring properties are adamant in their refusal to grant us such access citing speculative development value of their properties. Their demand to create an easement around not only the buildings that currently stand on the properties, but innumerable potential building locations as well, is simply impossible to do.


The reality is that Sylvania needs a fire station now; we cannot wait until speculative development of the property happens. Voters passed a fire levy in March 2008 which authorized the construction of three new fire stations. Sylvania Township has an obligation to our community to do exactly that. In order to build a new Station #3, we need sanitary sewer access. The adamant refusal of all adjacent property owners has lead to only one conclusion - Sylvania Township must take action to secure private property for public use.


I reject the use of eminent domain for private development projects, and reject the notion that such private projects have a public purpose simply because they increase the tax revenues of the government. But in a seeming paradox, we are being asked not to take property because of the potential future benefit to current owners, thus disregarding the current benefit and necessity to our community of safety services. I will not use the government's eminent domain authority to benefit private individuals, but I also will not allow the potential benefit of one to take priority over the needs of the entire Sylvania community.