The Asheville Regional Airport Authority (ARAA) Board approved the City of Asheville’s recommendation regarding a fire station located in the Airport Road corridor.
After a nearly a year of discussions regarding options for the project, the City accepted as the most viable option the Airport Authority’s proposed use of the public safety facility currently utilized by the airport. ARAA is moving forward with the design and construction of a new public safety building, which will leave the current facility vacant and available for use by the City.
“We are pleased to be able to offer our existing public safety building to the City in support of their efforts to most efficiently locate a fire station in the Airport Road area,” said Lew Bleiweis, A.A.E., Airport Director. “Our joint efforts over the past several months have resulted in a solution that is beneficial for both the City of Asheville and the airport.” Airport management will continue to work with City officials as progress is made on the new airport facility, which is slated for completion late summer, 2014.
The city’s fire apparatus for the airport area is currently housed at Skyland Fire on Long Shoals Road. “This is a 4 mile response which increases our response time to the airport area,” said Fire Chief Scott Burdette. “Having the equipment there will greatly increase our flexibility to respond on the South edge of Asheville.”
What happened to the argument that building a separate facility was a waste of $5 million, and that Lew Bleiweis’s opposition to a joint City/Airport fire station was based on anti-unionism?
http://www.mountainx.com/article/4422/Highflier