Some Sycamore residents say they’re opposed to location of new fire station

SYCAMORE – Some residents of southeast Sycamore, near where Ideal Industries donated land to the city for a proposed new fire station, told the city this week they’d rather the new facility be built elsewhere.

Those residents said the streets are possibly too narrow for a fire engine to weave through residential traffic, and worry children in the area could be put in peril by flashing lights and loud sirens from first responder vehicles.

Kathleen Valde, a Sycamore resident who lives near the location of the proposed fire station, said she doesn’t deny the city’s need for a new fire station, but takes issue with the location. She said she also didn’t like the way city officials presented the land in a Youtube video created to garner public support for the project.

“The video about the new fire station is filmed in such a way that it makes the location look pastural. It’s misleading. The planned location is in a neighborhood, and on a property next to South Prairie Elementary School. It’s across the street from housing on Borden [Avenue], it will be across the street from the new walking path around the retention pond, and a block away from a park on Borden. This is not a location in the middle of nowhere,” Valde said.

In January, Ideal Industries Inc. donated six acres of land for a new fire station in the Prairie Business Park, removing the need for the city to spend money on land acquisition.

City leaders have said a new fire station is needed since the one at 535 DeKalb Avenue is aging, and would be costly to remodel. At the time, Ideal Industries Foundation Director Nicole Juday said the company hopes to create a 10-foot-wide walking and bike path around a retention pond in the area.

City Council approved that walking path in June, and work began in July.

Ron Moran has lived in the area for 26 years. O Monday he told the City Council he’s concerned by what he called a continual increase of traffic in the area, and how that will jive with a new fire station.

“I would like to see a traffic survey taken on Borden Avenue as to how much traffic there even is in the first place before a fire station is even built. My guess is five, 600 cars a day are up and down that street,” Moran said. “So I would ask you kindly, with all due respect, to think of this very carefully, how it’s going to affect the whole neighborhood.”

Douglas Scott, another resident unhappy with the location of the proposed fire station, said he think’s a new fire station needs to be built in a more remote area, similar to Sycamore Fire Station No. 2 on Frantum Road.

“If you look at Sycamore’s own design for fire stations, our other fire station is in ‘a remote location.’ Not a lot of houses, easy on, easy off, it’s a perfect place for a fire station. If you go to DeKalb, on Dresser Road where they built their fire station it’s by itself, a few houses here and there but generally remote. It seems to be a trend ... Why is Sycamore ignoring a trend that even they are a part of with their second fire station out by [Jewel Osco]?” said Douglas Scott.

In July, Sycamore City Council held a special meeting in Streamwood, inside a fire station designed by the same architectural firm the city has contracted to help create its new station. That Streamwood building was nearly surrounded by residential buildings, and busy through streets.

Jason Akst, who lives near the proposed project site, provided Shaw Local a document he said he sent to the city in July concerning the proposed fire station.

In that document, Akst wrote that he has not received any direct communication from city officials about project. He also expressed concern about the new fire station location plans.

“As one of the affected residents, I can state with certainty that no elected official has contacted my family about this move. Neighbors and nearby friends report the same thing. Indeed, we note that communication about the new fire station is more of a public relations campaign than a dialogue with affected residents,” Akst wrote.

On Tuesday, Sycamore Mayor Steve Braser said he didn’t want to respond to the public comments. He said he appreciated the residents taking their time to attend a meeting and voice their concerns, however.

None of the residents that spoke against the location of the proposed fire station said they were against the city building a new station for the fire department, which would replace a Fire Station No. 1 along DeKalb Avenue. They said they just don’t think it’s the best place for the facility.

One of those residents, Valde said she thinks the fire station could be disruptive to students at a nearby elementary school.

“It will interfere with student learning. These are elementary school students, firetrucks, ambulances coming and going, it will distract them,” Valde said.