Zoning board OKs fire hall addition

April 30, 2014 Zoning board OKs fire hall addition

Randy Griffith rgriffith@tribdem.com The Tribune-Democrat Wed Apr 30, 2014, 11:14 PM EDT

JOHNSTOWN New offices and conference areas planned for Richland Township Volunteer Fire Departments Scalp Avenue headquarters also will create a new main entrance for the public.

A 30-by-70-foot addition at the front of the building on the Cemetery Road side is the largest of five additions planned for the facility, Keith Gindlesperger of H.F. Lenz Co. told the township zoning hearing board this week.

The intent is to add on offices, meeting rooms and other business-related functions, Gindlesperger said. It will be a more community-friendly entrance with signage.

Although the facilitys banquet room is easy to find, visitors looking for the fire departments business office often end up walking in through the garage bays, he said..

This will improve safety and also consolidate some of the business operations from the Geistown station, he said, noting that the changes at Scalp Avenue will free more space for fire operations at the Geistown building.

The zoning board unanimously approved the setback variance required for the expansion on the Cemetery Road side of the building along with another setback variance for a 15-by-90-foot storage area expansion on the Route 219 off-ramp side.

Randy Griffith is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/photogriffer57.

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Zoning board OKs fire hall addition