COUNTY MOVES FORWARD ON TAOS PINES FIRE SUBSTATION

(Reprinted from Sangre de Cristo Chronicle, Thursday, August 4, 2005)

Liz Saxe, staff writer

RATON -- Colfax County is moving forward with plans to build a new fire substation in Taos Pines for County Fire District 6. …(sic).

At its special meeting Tuesday, July 26, the Colfax County Commission discussed the next steps for building a fire substation on donated land in the Taos Pines development, west of Angel Fire off Hwy 64…(sic).

Fire substation

Colfax County Fire District 6 was offered two small donated parcels of land in the Taos Pines development – one at the base of the development and the other at the top of the hill. District 6’s Don Fink said the department hopes to build a substation at the base of the hill and water facilities at the top.

Fink explained that the small size of the base parcel – ¼ acre – should not be a problem for the proposed substation. “Normally that’s not an issue as long as it fits with the project,” Fink explained.

Commissioner Bill Conley asked how big a substation the department hopes to build. “We’re looking at a two bay building so we’d be able to house two apparatus,” Fink responded.

“What I assume you’re asking for is an expansion of what you already have as a fire district,” Vice-Chairman James Marchetti said. He asked Fink why the department feels the expansion is necessary.

“Right now we don’t have parking indoors for all our apparatus,” Fink explained. This causes problems, particularly in the winter, because the department has to take some vehicles out of operation or risk equipment freezing.

Fink also mentioned a substation at that location, at the base of Palo Flechado Pass will provide the department easier access to emergencies on the pass.

County Fire Marshal Larry Osborn said, “I think it’s a benefit to the residents of Taos Pines because there’s limited access to that area.”

We would like to move forward with this project and have the land transferred to the county,” Fink said.

County Manager Tom Garcia Jr. agreed to meet with Fink and Osborn to review the plats before the issue returns to the commission for action. Conley requested Fink also provide the county information on how much the land transfer will cost – including costs for the title and title insurance—before the commission takes any action.

"NOTE: The project was approved and construction of the substation will begin in the spring of 2006".