Fire district’s repair center now in city

In May, the fire district purchased the old truck testing facility on Gore Road. It is being used for the district's repair center to work on its vehicles and, in the distant future, to provide a training structure on the property.

"We have almost $40,000 into the building right now," Chief Tracey Steffes said at Monday's council meeting.

The council approved annexing the property into the city of Morris, and changing the zoning to manufacturing. New property is automatically annexed in as residential.

The district's attorney, Christopher Dearth of Hynds, Rooks, Yohnka & Bzdill, said the manufacturing-1 zoning fits both its current use and the future training structure.

Steffes said that, in seven to 10 years, he would like to construct a masonry or concrete block building on the back of the less-than-one-acre property for training purposes. Firefighters would use it for hose and ladder training. There would be no burning on the property.

The Fields of Saratoga subdivision is located near the property and the homeowner's association expressed concern about the zoning change, said Steffes. They are fine with the fire department's use, but were concerned that, if the department ever sold the property, manufacturing could allow for other uses that are not as fitting with a subdivision next door.

To ease their concerns, the annexation agreement states that, if the fire district is going to sell the property, it must be rezoned to light manufacturing first to limit what can go on that property.

"We felt it was the neighborly thing to do," Steffes said.

The council also approved two variances for the fire district: a side-yard variance and a lot width variance.

A lot width variance of 30 feet was granted. In M-1, a 150-foot lot width is required, but this lot is 120 feet. Also in M-1, a side-yard setback of 15 feet is required, so a two-foot variance was granted for the district's lot, which has a setback of 13 feet.