Bridgehampton Fire District Asking for $3.9 Million on Tuesday

The Bridgehampton Fire District is asking the community on Tuesday to agree .

In a public meeting at the on Friday, Steve Halsey, the chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners, said the 28,240-square foot, commercially zoned Pulver Gas property is contiguous to the department’s current property, it has more than 95 feet of frontage on Main Street and it would be ideal for their future needs. “It’s really a gift,” Halsey said, explaining that a chance like this wouldn’t come around again.

The commissioner said the owners gave the department first refusal on the property, and they agreed to sell it for $350,000 below asking price.

Halsey said the district would take out a 15-year bond, and with a 3.5 percent interest rate, the cost to the taxpayers would be $25.69 per year per $1 million in assessed value.

The specific use for the property is not set in stone, but Halsey said Pulver Gas would maintain occupancy until the completion of its two-year lease, so there would be time to plan for the parcel’s future. He noted that the Bridgehampton Fire Department is now at maximum density on its current property and it’s already in need of breathing room.

The district had developed a plan to build a second story on their current building, but the project would cost in the neighborhood of $10 million, Halsey said. “We were shocked,” he said of the cost. Luckily, he said, the Pulver property became available just three months after they learned of the building costs. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” he said, noting that the department desperately needs more storage and apparatus space.

The district signed the contract to purchase the Pulver property on Aug. 11 of this year, but the referendum must pass on Tuesday in order for them to close the deal by Dec. 15. “We’re really cramped for time here,” Halsey said, explaining that there’s still much to do, even if the referendum passes.

If the referendum passes, the fire district will still need to pay for construction on the new property. “This whole project could run up to $10 million,” 40-year part-time Bridgehampton resident Frederick Owen said at the meeting.

Halsey said the department hopes to keep costs down in the future development of the Pulver property, and he noted that the current buildings could be used for offices exactly as they stand. “We don’t plan on building anything that resembles the Taj Mahal,” Halsey said. “We’re very frugal here,” he added, pointing out that the fire department still uses a fire truck from 1969.

Halsey said the building wouldn’t need to be the size of their current headquarters, and there would be a second referendum for any future construction.

“We need space right now,” Commissioner Jeff Louchheim said, explaining that the community is going to grow and the department needs more room already. The fire department has five companies, including an ambulance company, which is not a separate entity distinct from the fire department, as in other districts. He said that the department could use the offices and the storage on the property immediately after Pulver Gas completes its lease.

Halsey said the current space is not enough for all of the volunteer fire department and ambulance meetings and training. The district covers 27 square miles in Bridgehampton, Sagaponack, Wainscott and Water Mill, and they received 1,322 calls last year.

Registered voters in the Bridgehampton Fire District can vote on the referendum from 6 to 9 p.m. at the , 64 School Street, Bridgehampton.