Site for temporary fire hall too close for Waverley West resident group’s comfort

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/01/2023 (1030 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A group of residents is fighting to change the location of a new $3-million temporary fire hall set for Waverley West to reduce emergency-response times until a new permanent station is built.

Nearly two dozen people have signed up to appeal a city variance that would allow the portable fire-paramedic station to be placed at 110 Eaglewood Dr., which the city says is urgently needed.

While residents say quick emergency service is a priority, they believe the station should be placed elsewhere.

“We’re not against a fire hall, in general; that is something that is needed in this community, said Teri Stevens, who lives a five-minute walk from the site.

”The response times… now (are) a concern…. We have to make these decisions quickly when it’s a matter of safety. But, I think, to not consider the long-term implications would be a mistake.

Stevens’ partner Lauren Einfeld said many residents fear the current site will eat up a large portion of valuable green space.

“(It’s) the only green space that’s developed in the neighbourhood…. People are using every inch of that park every day,” said Einfeld.

“It also, I feel, is a safety concern because we have lots of young families in this neighbourhood, lots of people with pets that are walking their dog and (the city is) proposing to put a fire hall with speeding emergency vehicles… steps from a children’s playground.”

Einfeld said she’s concerned sirens would disrupt the normally quiet neighbourhood and, also, that the area is congested and has too many traffic circles, making it inefficient for emergency vehicles.

Emily Sprague, who also lives near the site, said the concerns about noise, traffic, safety and loss of green space make the site a poor fit.

“It is taking away from one of our only green spaces in the (Prairie Pointe) neighbourhood (within Waverley West) to place infrastructure that should have been planned for in a more appropriate venue,” Sprague said, adding there are several empty parcels of land in the neighbourhood that would be better suited for a temporary station.

“While I also want safety to be a priority and I want some kind of better fire and ambulance response, I don’t feel that this is the place.”

City staff support the variance to allow the temporary fire hall for up to five years on the Eaglewood Drive site, which is currently zoned for parks and recreation. A report says the portable station would improve emergency response times until a $12.1-million permanent fire station can be completed at the South Winnipeg Recreation Campus on Bison Drive.

The permanent station has long been expected to be completed in 2025.

“Until such time that a permanent facility can be established, the temporary station offers a solution that will improve service and, most importantly, the safety of the residents in the area in the immediate future. Within Waverley West, the city owns few properties that are suitable for this purpose (located in proximity to paved roads and with underground services). 110 Eaglewood Dr. was identified as the best possible site for a temporary fire station,” the report states.

The portable station will be a one-storey, 4,000- to 5,000-square-foot modular building. It will require about one acre of land, including the building, vehicle access and parking, the report says.

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service declined to answer questions about the appeal Thursday while it awaits a public hearing.

The WFPS Master Plan, released in 2020, notes the average total emergency response time in Waverley West was 11 minutes and 27 seconds in 2018. WFPS later estimated the temporary facility could reduce times by a few minutes.

Coun. Sherri Rollins, former chairwoman of council’s community services committee, said it’s not uncommon for residents to share concerns about problems such as noise near proposed police or fire stations. However, she stressed the temporary fire station is a pressing priority.

“I’ll be watching the appeal closely but I will likely start off in delegation in full support of the Waverley West (temporary) station,” said Rollins. “It’s a huge priority and it’s a priority for life safety and … that’s my bottom line.”

The appeal will be heard Wednesday.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga