No site set for Southlake fire-training tower

By Nicholas Sakelaris in The Southlake Journal in The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Southlake leaders still haven’t settled on a location for the proposed four-story fire-training tower. At its Aug. 3 meeting, the City Council directed staff to look at vacant industrial sites on South Kimball Avenue near Dragon Stadium. The council will likely put off further discussion on the issue until the fall so city staff can focus on the 2011 budget.

“We don’t have any need to rush this at the moment,” said Mayor John Terrell.

For several months, the proposed 58-foot fire training tower has stirred passions and caused disagreements in Southlake. The tower was originally planned as part of the DPS North project at the northeast corner of North White Chapel and Dove Road, but neighbors have made it clear they don’t want it.

In June, the council approved a zoning change for the fire station, DPS training center and shooting range but delayed the construction of the training tower until staff could research other potential locations.

Last week, Police Chief Robert Finn presented five alternate sites, including three near Dragon Stadium, but also explained problems with each one. He also showed a revised DPS North site plan with the training tower farther south, away from homes on Summit Ridge Drive but closer to homes on Dove Road. The plan also showed additional landscaping.

Residents contend that a burn tower is an industrial use that does not belong in a residential setting. They are also concerned that fire departments from other cities would use the facility, making it a busy commercial venture.

City staff and Crime Control and Prevention District board members touted the benefits of having a tower where firefighters can train without leaving the city. Bob Mundlin, vice president of the crime district board, said it would be more convenient for firefighters to have the tower adjoining the fire station and other DPS training facilities. Firefighters could train more often and would be available for calls. Police officers who are using the underground firing range could also use the training tower for tactical drills.

“This is not just a backyard issue. It’s a city issue,” Mundlin said.

Funding is the biggest problem with moving the site. If the tower is built at the DPS North location, it would be used by both police and fire in a joint facility, making it eligible for the Crime Control and Prevention District’s half-cent sales tax funding. If the fire tower is built at another site, officials said the district’s funds couldn’t be used. Instead, the city would likely use the general fund to pay for the project.

“We really only have one viable site that will allow the use of those funds,” said City Attorney Alan Taylor. “The idea is the joint utilization.”

Also, the city owns the land at DPS North. Southlake would have to buy land at the other sites, which could add millions of dollars to the project cost, Finn said. Some of the properties aren’t even listed for sale, Finn said.

Mayor Pro Tem Laura Hill sided with residents, saying it doesn’t matter what the council planned when it purchased the Dove Road tract in 1999.

“I have no problem with questioning that,” said Hill, resulting in a roar of applause from the crowd.

Hill said she’s concerned about the tower’s cost, adding that she’s called other cities that have fire training towers, and none of them cost more than $400,000.

Southlake estimates the fire training tower will cost $1.7 million without considering land costs.

Councilman Brandon Bledsoe said he would support an alternate site on Kimball Avenue, even if it meant using city bonds to pay for it. He said in the future residents won’t remember how the tower was funded but they will have to live with it.

“This is a permanent decision,” he said.