colorado fire district may see construction of three new stations

Responding to growth that has seen its population jump from 48,000 less than a decade ago to nearly 60,000 today, officials with the Mountain View Fire District in Colorado say they hope to build at least three new fire stations in the next several years.

Those stations, in a nearly 200-square mile district roughly 40 miles north of Denver, would be built on sites in towns that have in recent years witnessed unprecedented new home construction.

Members of the fire district’s board of directors are expected to vote soon on whether or not to put on this November’s ballot a question that would raise property taxes in order to fund the new station construction.

If passed, a 16.2 mill levy would be expected to generate just over $5.4 million a year for the district, with work on the first station set to begin next year in the town of Erie; followed by the second facility construction in unincorporated Weld County.

The third station would be built in the town of Mead several years later, with a completion date of sometime in 2027.

Both Erie and Mead have seen significant growth in recent years: Erie’s population has jumped from 6,200 in 2000 to more than 24,200 today; while Mead’s population has doubled from just over 2,000 in that same time period to more than 4,500 today.
If built, the new stations would bring to eleven the number of stations making up the district.

The Mountain View Fire District’s board is expected to make a decision on the ballot question by the end of next month.

By Garry Boulard

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