City of Newark buys Horns Hill Road property as possible fire station site
NEWARK — The city of Newark has purchased land on Horns Hill Road that could become the site for a new North End Fire Station.
The current North End Station at 1140 Hollander St. was converted to a fire station from a bus garage in 1976. The city has been considering a new location for decades.
The 2-acre home site at 3131 Horns Hill Road, south of Randy Drive Northeast, is on the west side of the road and adjacent to the new Conor's Pass housing subdivision under construction. The city purchased the property in December for $318,000.
Mayor Jeff Hall said the city bought the property “in anticipation for a fire station” but clarified no final decisions have been made.
“It’s not 100%, but you grab the property when it’s affordable,” Hall said. “Right now, we think that might be a good place. A whole lot of things have to happen first. We can buy property and turn around and sell it if it doesn’t work out.”
Two Newark Township residents who live on Horns Hill Road hope it doesn’t work out.
Steven Reed, who lives adjacent to the possible fire station site, said he has child with autism who would be frightened by the sounds coming from a fire station.
“Loud noise just scares him to death,” Reed said. “We were never notified to voice an opinion. We don’t want it built there.”
“To have them (fire alarms) going off all day and night, I don’t know what it’s going to do to him.”
Vivian Gluzinski, a Newark Township resident adjacent to Conor's Pass on the north, south and west sides of her property, lives just south of the city’s new property.
“I’m not particularly thrilled with the (fire station) idea, but the city will do what they’ll do,” Gluzinski said. “I’ve lived here 28 years in peace and quiet and that’s changing. I get it’s progress, but I don’t have to like it.”
Hillview Elementary School opened in 2007 a half mile north of Gluzinski. Construction began last year on homes in Conor’s Pass, a 113-home development on 55 acres. So far, she has resisted selling her property but said the changing environment is not great for her horses.
The mayor said the only way for a resident to guarantee they will like the plans for a neighboring property is to buy it themselves.
“If you want true peace and quiet, you can buy it,” Hall said. “But if you don’t own the land, you don’t really have control. And those people that have the land, if they like to sell it, that’s their right too.
“Needless to say, if any of those people needed a medic at their house, they’d love it close by. That’s how we have to look at it. Time is critical. We want to be closer to the population.”
The mayor said a Horns Hill Road Station could be similar to the Sharon Valley Road Station, which opened in 2020.
“We built Station 5 around a model we think can be replicated," Hall said. "We think that might be a real good place."
City Councilman Doug Marmie, D-6th Ward, said he likes the site for a fire station.
“I thought it would be a great location, given all the growth that has happened in that area,” Marmie said. “There’s going to be growth all across Licking County in the very near future. Newark will not be immune to that.
“That area has been growing for 10 years. We’re fortunate it’s been positive growth. It’s been economically beneficial. The density of population is not huge. Lot sizes are large.”
Newark Fire Chief Brandon Metzger said the city cannot build a new station at the Hollander site because it’s in a floodplain.
“We outgrew that station 20 years ago,” Metzger said. “It was originally a bus garage and added on. It’s very difficult to respond out of there. It makes sense to locate the station further north, which will reduce response times.”
The chief said choosing the site for a fire station must take into account not only the location of calls within the city, but also mutual aid response outside the city. And all fire departments struggle hiring enough people.
“We’re being called more outside the city for mutual aid response to that zone,” Metzger said. “They’re not able to handle their call volumes. Others have staffing challenges as well. They rely on us because we’re the biggest department in the county. The frequency is increasing.”
Metzger said that although public input is not sought prior to a purchase of property, there would be public involvement when the area is annexed and zoned.
In the past, neighbors have supported building a fire station nearby, he said.
“The majority of people are happy to see an investment in their area,” Metzger said. “It makes you feel good if you need something, it’s right in your backyard, but a minority are concerned with increased traffic and increased noise.”
Firefighters are respectful of their neighbors, the chief said, but there's no way to avoid some of the noise associated with a fire station.
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Newark fire stations
Station 1: Downtown at 75 S. Fourth St., new building opened in 2015, 16,300 square feet.
Station 2: North End at 1140 Hollander St., converted to fire station from bus garage in 1976, 2,000 square feet.
Station 3: West End at 1800 W. Main St., new building opened in 2004, 2-story, 14,000 square feet.
Station 4: East End at 1225 E. Main St., new building opened in 1978, closed in 2016 for emergency response.
Station 5: Northwest at 950 Sharon Valley Road, opened in 2020, 5,300-square feet.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: City of Newark buys Horns Hill Road property for possible fire station
