39-34 43rd St. (SunnysidePost)
April 18, 2014 By Christian Murray
The FDNY has its sights set on acquiring a property on 43rd Street that would be used to house spare fire engines.
The property, located at 39-34 43rd St., will not be used as a firehouse, but instead as a facility that will have a supply of spare fire engines– as well as provide storage.
The purpose of the facility is to help fire companies manage their fleet. For instance, if a firehouse were to have an engine in need of maintenance, the captain could use a spare vehicle located at the 43rd Street property while the engine were being repaired.
The vehicles would not be repaired on the 43rd Street property but elsewhere.
The FDNY seeks the property since its current site in Maspeth is in a flood zone. There was significant water damage at that site following Hurricane Sandy.
A representative of the FDNY said that the trucks would not be used for emergencies, so there would not be any flashing lights coming in and out of the facility.
The FDNY would also store items such as wood, concrete, piping and dry wall on the site to ensure that it has a supply should a firehouse be in need of repairs.
The FDNY, however, needs to get a zoning change before it can go ahead with its plans. It will be undergoing the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure. Therefore, more details about the plan will be unveiled soon and the public will be able to have a voice on the application at a Community Board 2 public hearing.
The public hearing is likely to be in June.
