While there’s no timeline to choose a new location for the proposed Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company station, the way forward was clarified during the Salisbury Township board of commissioners June 25 meeting workshop, held via the Zoom online meeting format.

Apparently key to a township decision on a new location, officials at the workshop seemed to agree, is a meeting between Western officials and officials of The Swain School.

“Can you please provide an update?” John Kelly, a member of the board of trustees of Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company and a volunteer firefighter with the company, asked township commissioners, noting Western officials wrote to township officials and received a written response about the Western project.

“I believe, right now we don’t have a timeline. We’re going to have to look at the whole project,” Commissioner Heather Lipkin said.

“What are the next steps?” Kelly asked.

“We don’t have a timeline,” Lipkin said again.

“It’s definitely not going to be in Green Acres Park. We have to start from the beginning,” Kelly said.

“With Swain changing hands, there won’t be a meeting until late July,” Commissioner James Seagreaves said.

Dr. Armistead Gordon Webster was named by The Swain School board of trustees to be the next Head of The Swain School, effective July 1.

Township officials have been reluctant to fund a new station at the Swain location because of a reverter clause in the deed for the land that would revert the land back to Swain should fire company use cease.

“Are we wrong in that?” board of commissioners President Debra Brinton asked.

”I have read the information from 1971. It’s between you [Western] and Swain, not us and Swain. Am I correct in that?” Brinton asked Kelly.

”In my opinion,” Lipkin to Kelly said, “You’re going to have to work it out with Swain. If you can get Swain to agree to something and bring it to us, that would be great.”

“We’re still concerned about the reverter clause. I know I am,” board of commissioners Vice President Rodney Conn said, adding, “I think we need to take a look at other properties that may be available to us in the township.”

“If we can have the reverter clause removed, would you consider that location,” Kelly asked of the Swain School station site.

“Yes, and as long as the residents would understand it could be taller,” Brinton said of a possible new Swain station.

“I would want to see that reverter clause removed, so that they we can have a direct dialogue with Western Salisbury,” Salisbury Township Manager Cathy Bonaskiewich said.

“I had some people from the east end who asked that it [Western fire station project] be put on a referendum because it’s a township-wide issue,” Seagreaves said.

“We want this to work out,” Brinton said.

“Years ago, for Eastern Salisbury [Volunteer Fire Company], the land was donated by the school district. There was a referendum. And there was a lot of support for it. That’s what we have to do,” Brinton said.

”We want to make sure the citizens of Salisbury Township and the neighbors are happy with this,” Lipkin said.

“I am aware of the history of Eastern [Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company’s station]. I was a member of Western and we encouraged people to support it,” Kelly said.

“As things move along, I think you’re going to have a great amount of community support,” Brinton said to Kelly.

“My perspective is that we had a plan. We had a good plan. As of two weeks ago, it is shut down,” Bonaskiewich said.

“We have to step back and think about what our other plans are. We have two new board members. Let’s regroup and be able to discuss this,” Bonaskiewich said.

“And because it is real estate, we can discuss in executive session by the board. I don’t know that we can have a public discussion to flesh out all the details,” Bonaskiewich said.

“Please keep us informed,” Kelly said.

Jeffrey Seybolt, who led the drive to oppose the Green Acres Park site for a Western fire station, said of the June 11 workshop when the four commissioners each said they opposed park location, “It was my understanding that it was not a formal vote.”

“You have heard all the commissioners say that we are not going to build on the empty lot next to the playground. We are firm on that,” Brinton said.

Brinton asked Bonaskiewich what township funds had been expended on the Western project. Bonaskiewich said only architect fees have been spent.

Township officials had begun a pre-loan application to the United States Department of Agriculture for a 40-year, low-interest loan to finance the proposed $3.2-million Western fire station at Green Acres. Bonaskiewich said the loan application would stop if the station isn’t located in Green Acres.

“I’m wondering why you wouldn’t want to be involved in that conversation between the fire company and Swain?” Seybolt asked commissioners.

“If you read the clause, we have no legal standing at all,” Brinton responded.

“Right now, Western owns the land. And Swain has the reverter clause. There’s no point in us being involved unless they get that worked out,” Salisbury Township Solicitor Atty. John W. Ashley said.

Salisbury halted plans to build a new Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company Station in Green Acres Park when four township commissioners said during the June 11 workshop they oppose constructing a fire station in the park.

Green Acres residents expressed opposition to the fire station being built in a portion of the park during the June 11 workshop and the May 28 commissioners meeting.

Salisbury officials announced at the May 28 commissioners’ meeting postponement of the June 2 zoning hearing board meeting, which had the Western fire station Green Acres site as the first item on the agenda.

An artist’s rendering of the Western fire station presented at the March 12 township board of commissioners meeting placed a 3,000-square foot fire station on a 0.9-acre portion of Green Acres Park.

The recommendation for the township to build a new Western fire station was in the Emergency Services Study by Duane Hagelgans, of Duane Hagelgans Consulting, presented to commissioners Feb. 28, 2019. The 142-page report was commissioned April 26, 2018.

The township funded construction of Eastern Salisbury Fire Company, East Emmaus Avenue and Honeysuckle Road.

The one-story Western station at Green Acres was expected to go out for bid in June, with groundbreaking in September and completion in fall 2021.

Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company received township planning and zoning approval for a $2.5-million project to renovate and expand the Swain Fire Station.

Western had sought to finance renovation of the Swain Station through a combination of fundraising and annual allocations from the township.

Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2019.

“We’re so happy to have so many community members involved,” Brinton said of the June 25 Zoom meeting, for which there were 35 participants registered. Approximately 72 registered for the June 11 Zoom meeting.

The Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners are next scheduled to meet via the Zoom online format, 7 p.m. July 9. Participants are to sign up for the meeting in advance at the township website: https://www.salisburytownshippa.org/event/board-of-commissioners-meeting-125.