Plans for Carbon fire training facility advance

The Carbon County fire training facility is one step closer to becoming a reality.

On Wednesday, Nesquehoning Borough Council granted conditional approval for the project pending the results of Lehigh Engineering’s review and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s approval of the road portion of the project that was already completed.

Loren Salsman of Carbon Engineering, the county engineer on the project, approached council to request the board act on the plan so that the project can go out to be bid possibly as soon as next month.

Lehigh Engineering, hired by the borough for the project, has not yet sent the borough its final review.

John McArdle, who sits on the borough planning commission, said that Lehigh Engineering went through the project and outlined issues and Carbon Engineering has addressed them, but the ball is now back in Lehigh Engineering’s court.

Salsman said that the county hopes to go out to bid in January so that the project can proceed in the spring.

“It’s been long overdue,” McArdle said, adding that he would recommend they grant the conditional approval.

He and Salsman noted that the other portion, PennDOT’s approval of Emergency Lane, is just a formality because it will not affect traffic.

Last week, Carbon County Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein gave an update of the proposed $3.5 million emergency operations and training facility.

He said the bid specifications for the site work on the project are nearly ready to be put out to bid.

In October, the county planning commission recommended approval for the project.

The plans they reviewed include a 1,600-square-foot law enforcement training building, 400-square-foot observation tower, 1,820-square-foot firefighter training building, a 924-square-foot fire training tower, storage building, burn pad and vehicle extrication area, and other concrete pads for storage and utilities, as well as two parking areas with 69 parking spots.

Last year Emergency Lane was widened to accommodate space for larger emergency vehicles accessing the site.

That project cost the county about $800,000.