The Albert Lea City Council selected the site east of the Freeborn County Law Enforcement Center as the location for the planned new Albert Lea Fire Department station Monday by a 4-3 vote. Councilors Larry Baker, Robert Rasmussen and Rich Murray and Mayor Vern Rasmussen Jr. voted yes. Jason Howland, Reid Olson and Al “Minnow” Brooks voted no.  

Councilors had also considered placing the fire station at Blazing Star Landing.

The vote came after Corey Brunton of Mankato-based Brunton Architects expressed concern about underground debris at Blazing Star Landing after the former Farmland Foods factory burned down in 2001 on the site.

He said a worker smelled what he believed was gas at Blazing Star Landing. That report was later deemed unfounded.

Brunton said if contaminated soils were found, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency could get involved, and it might take two to three months to correct the issue.

“(MPCA makes) you stop, and then you have to have a corrective action plan in place,” he said.

In voting no, Howland and Olson said they still favored placing the fire station at Blazing Star Landing.

“I’ve always had a good gut feeling for Blazing Star Landing,” Olson said.

Howland said though both sites have benefits, a majority of constituents informed him they want the fire station at Blazing Star Landing.

In voting yes, Vern Rasmussen predicted the city would benefit by placing the fire station on Newton Avenue. He expressed concern that placing the facility on Blazing Star Landing would take 3 to 4 acres away from a possible private site developer.

The Newton Avenue site is projected to cost slightly more than $9 million to develop, compared to the approximately $9.33 million cost at Blazing Star Landing. Site acquisition costs at Newton Avenue were not available Monday night.

Those figures are both higher than the previously-estimated nearly $7 million cost to build the fire station, which Brunton said was partially due to additional amenities at the planned facility and increased construction costs partially fueled by tariffs.

Murray said he was not “totally happy” with projected costs and told Brunton he would expect them to be reduced.

After the existing buildings on the Newton Avenue site are acquired, they are expected to be demolished from December to April, and the project is expected to be completed in December 2019, with move-in the same month.

Albert Lea Public Safety Director J.D. Carlson expressed support for placing the fire station on Newton Avenue because of benefits he said come from having first responders co-locate.

Carlson said Freeborn County Sheriff Kurt Freitag expressed similar views in a letter.

An emergency operations center used by law enforcement agencies is expected to be included at the station.

Councilors unanimously approved plans and authorized advertising bids for the project and requested costs be kept as low as possible.

In other action, the council:

• Called an Oct. 22 public hearing on delinquent water and sewer accounts and miscellaneous accounts. Councilors also called Oct. 22 public hearings for proposed assessments on the city’s neighborhood improvement project in downtown Albert Lea, state aid overlay project, downtown sidewalk replacement, Johnson Street reconstruction and Bay Oaks Drive and Sundance Lane reconstruction projects.
• Approved plans and specifications and ordered bids to provide sanitary sewer to the Stables area and properties along Country Club Road and accommodate a future expansion of the sanitary sewer and water main north along Freeborn County Road 20 the West Plaza Street area.
• Authorized a grant of up to $2,500 for facade restoration at 415 S. Washington Ave.
• Accepted a $19,345 grant from the Office of Traffic Safety to participate in the Toward Zero Deaths program. The grant allows for the reimbursement of costs associated with assigning police officers to participate in designated enforcements. Funding is expected to continue to be shared with the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office.
• Accepted a $1,450 grant from Tom & Maria Glackin in memory of Margaret Madrigal and Alvin & Nancy Glackin.  
• Authorized the sale of surplus equipment, including a tandem axle trailer with pintle hatch, a tailgate mounted chip spreader, a dump truck front plow, two gas circular chop saws, a concrete mixer, forklift, a 3-inch trash pump on wheels and a 3-inch trash pump.
• Approved reconfiguring a lot line between properties at 1016 Frank Ave. and 1024 Frank Ave. so resident Jim Malepsy can keep the shed at 1016 Frank Ave. with the home he lives in at 1024 Frank Ave.
• Approved closing Fountain Street Oct. 13 for a fire prevention open house.