News of the Ellenville Fire District's bid to purchase the building currently occupied by JM Originals at the corner of Canal Street and Yankee Place for $550,000 has stirred a great deal of conversation and concern for district taxpayers. The Ellenville Journal's website has received over 2,000 individual visits since publishing the article detailing the proposed purchase.

One of the posters to the website has been Ellenville Fire District Commissioner Mike Moschetta, who informed readers that a rough estimate for remodeling the 18,458 square foot building would be $3.6 million, bringing the total price tag for a consolidated firehouse to $4.1 million.

But Moschetta countered these costs by claiming that previous proposals for the Berme Road site, a 21,000 square foot building, would costs district taxpayer $5.25 million. In addition, Moschetta argued that the area's previous use as a landfill would require tests and possible clean up efforts that could ratchet the price up even higher. In order to clear up some of the concerns that have been expressed by local residents, the fire district will be holding a public informational meeting at their Greenfield Park location on Wednesday, January 23 at 6 p.m., less than a week before the January 29 vote that will decide whether or not the fire district will receive the go ahead from district taxpayers to purchase and begin remodeling the JM Originals store.

Moschetta made it clear that, as a village resident, he was worried about the increase in taxes that a purchase and remodeling effort of this size would generate. To that end, Moschetta said he was to meet with Wawarsing Assessor Mike Sommer on Tuesday to calculate what the cost would be, per taxpayer, should the firehouse project be approved. Calls to both Moschetta and Sommer, attempting to find out just what that cost would be, were no returned at press time.

* * * Since 2003 the Ellenville Fire District's annual budget has gone from to $334,435 to $639,400 for 2008. The fire district has purchased three fire trucks over that span.

Moschetta said that the district has looked at a number of possible relocation and consolidation sites over the years only to, "always hit a brick wall with costs, locations and possible environmental problems; the old gas station at the point [heading west out of Ellenville on Route 52], the point at Broadhead and Canal Street, Herb's Dodge and others. We also looked at this same building [the JM Originals store] years ago and it was voted down. We knew back then that this location was a favorable one.

Coverage of the district's informational meeting on Wednesday, January 23, will be available at www.ellenvillejournal.com on Thursday, January 24.

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