City weighs buying land for planned fire stations

Buying land for new fire stations is on the agenda for the Texarkana, Texas, City Council’s regular meeting Monday.

The council will consider authorizing purchase of three parcels of land identified as potential station locations.

“The fire station relocation project is included in the Capital Improvement Plan, and initial funding for land acquisition has already been approved. The three potential locations have been identified, and the owners of each are aware of our intentions,” a staff briefing document states.

The Capital Improvement Plan is a prioritized list of infrastructure projects planned to be funded by municipal bonds. The city suspended the CIP last year to avoid taking on new debt.

The relocation plan announced a year ago would move crews at three of Texarkana, Texas, Fire Department’s five stations into newly built, strategically placed buildings.

The plan calls for Station One, now at 524 W. Third St., to move farther north in the downtown area, TTFD Chief Eric Schlotter said last year. Station Three, now at 5706 Richmond Road, would be west and south of its current spot. And Station Four, now at 4315 Summerhill Road, would remain close to Summerhill but north of Interstate 30.

Shifting the stations’ positions will decrease response times to certain parts of the city, especially the quickly expanding development north of Interstate 30, Schlotter said.

The council will also conduct a public hearing on revisions to the city’s water conservation and drought contingency plan, required by Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

The agenda includes an open forum during which members of the public may address the council on any topic for up to five minutes each.

The full agenda is available on the city’s website at texarkanacitytx.iqm2. com/Citizens/Default.aspx.

The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 220 Texas Blvd.