New Fire Stations

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In 2016, Port City Architecture was hired by the City of Sanford, ME to study the City’s Fire/EMS Department. The study provided professional recommendations for future staffing, apparatus needs, and renovation or relocation of the facilities to address the long-term needs of the Sanford and Springvale communities. Port City's recommendations:

  • Vacate all three existing facilities.
  • Construct two new stations along the Route 109 corridor at equidistant increments of the City’s total length.
  • The main station should be approximately 29,000 sq ft and will provide 5 drive-through bays and 1 decontamination bay along with living, training, and administrative spaces for the City.
  • The substation should be 16,000 sq ft with 4 bays and living quarters.


In 2019, Sanford and Springvale residents voted against a $1 Million bond to purchase an undisclosed piece of land for a new fire station. The 2019 vote was not for the construction of a new fire station.


In 2020, architects from WBRC Architects and Mitchell Associates met with former Chief Benotti to review the existing conditions and functionality of each station. The architects found the Sanford fire stations have outlived their useful lives. They do not comply with current codes, standards, or recommended practices. They are unsafe, inefficient, and disrespectful to female employees. They should be replaced at the earliest possible moment.


In 2021, the Fire Station Feasibility Working Group was created to analyze the necessity of new fire stations and identify the optimal locations.


In 2022, the Sanford City Council allocated $585,000 of APRA funds for the purchase of 1280 Main St, Sanford for a fire station. The Fire Station Feasibility Working Group continued to meet and toured the Brunswick Fire Station while it was still under construction. The Brunswick Fire Department hired the same architects that will construct the Sanford Fire Stations, Mitchell Associates. The group also toured the Wells Fire Station. Unlike Sanford, Wells constructed a "Public Safety Building" (Fire Department and Police Department). Both tours were informational and helped guide conversations about what the Sanford Fire Stations should entail.


In 2023, The City of Sanford, ME signed a lease-purchase agreement for a second property at 10 Payne Street (Notre Dame), to establish a district fire station. 1280 Main Street (Springvale Nurseries), previously purchased, is suitable in size for a Central (Main) Station and 10 Payne Street is suitable for a District (Sub) Station. Collaboratively, the City of Sanford and the Roman Catholic Diocese are preparing the property for demolition at the end of 2024.


In 2024, at the January 16th meeting, the City Council authorized architectural fire station construction planning funds for pre-referendum cost estimating and partial schematic design in the amount of $168,000.

At the March 19th Meeting, detailed plans for proposed new fire stations were presented to the Council and the public. The design, presented by Bob Mitchell of WBRC/Mitchell Associates, prioritizes firefighter health and safety, inclusive design, and energy efficiency, featuring separate zones to mitigate chemical exposure, quiet sleeping quarters, and gender-neutral facilities. The SFD Headquarters will be located at Main Street and Mayflower Drive in South Sanford, while the district station in Springvale will be situated on Payne Street. Existing conditions at current stations highlight inadequate storage, unsafe equipment cleaning practices, gender disparities in facilities, and non-compliance with safety standards, posing risks of costly lawsuits.

Councilors decided on a November 2024 referendum, in anticipation of increased voter turnout during the presidential election. The projected construction cost for both stations is $42.5 million, with each year of delay adding an additional $2.6 million in expenses



In 2016, Port City Architecture was hired by the City of Sanford, ME to study the City’s Fire/EMS Department. The study provided professional recommendations for future staffing, apparatus needs, and renovation or relocation of the facilities to address the long-term needs of the Sanford and Springvale communities. Port City's recommendations:

  • Vacate all three existing facilities.
  • Construct two new stations along the Route 109 corridor at equidistant increments of the City’s total length.
  • The main station should be approximately 29,000 sq ft and will provide 5 drive-through bays and 1 decontamination bay along with living, training, and administrative spaces for the City.
  • The substation should be 16,000 sq ft with 4 bays and living quarters.


In 2019, Sanford and Springvale residents voted against a $1 Million bond to purchase an undisclosed piece of land for a new fire station. The 2019 vote was not for the construction of a new fire station.


In 2020, architects from WBRC Architects and Mitchell Associates met with former Chief Benotti to review the existing conditions and functionality of each station. The architects found the Sanford fire stations have outlived their useful lives. They do not comply with current codes, standards, or recommended practices. They are unsafe, inefficient, and disrespectful to female employees. They should be replaced at the earliest possible moment.


In 2021, the Fire Station Feasibility Working Group was created to analyze the necessity of new fire stations and identify the optimal locations.


In 2022, the Sanford City Council allocated $585,000 of APRA funds for the purchase of 1280 Main St, Sanford for a fire station. The Fire Station Feasibility Working Group continued to meet and toured the Brunswick Fire Station while it was still under construction. The Brunswick Fire Department hired the same architects that will construct the Sanford Fire Stations, Mitchell Associates. The group also toured the Wells Fire Station. Unlike Sanford, Wells constructed a "Public Safety Building" (Fire Department and Police Department). Both tours were informational and helped guide conversations about what the Sanford Fire Stations should entail.


In 2023, The City of Sanford, ME signed a lease-purchase agreement for a second property at 10 Payne Street (Notre Dame), to establish a district fire station. 1280 Main Street (Springvale Nurseries), previously purchased, is suitable in size for a Central (Main) Station and 10 Payne Street is suitable for a District (Sub) Station. Collaboratively, the City of Sanford and the Roman Catholic Diocese are preparing the property for demolition at the end of 2024.


In 2024, at the January 16th meeting, the City Council authorized architectural fire station construction planning funds for pre-referendum cost estimating and partial schematic design in the amount of $168,000.

At the March 19th Meeting, detailed plans for proposed new fire stations were presented to the Council and the public. The design, presented by Bob Mitchell of WBRC/Mitchell Associates, prioritizes firefighter health and safety, inclusive design, and energy efficiency, featuring separate zones to mitigate chemical exposure, quiet sleeping quarters, and gender-neutral facilities. The SFD Headquarters will be located at Main Street and Mayflower Drive in South Sanford, while the district station in Springvale will be situated on Payne Street. Existing conditions at current stations highlight inadequate storage, unsafe equipment cleaning practices, gender disparities in facilities, and non-compliance with safety standards, posing risks of costly lawsuits.

Councilors decided on a November 2024 referendum, in anticipation of increased voter turnout during the presidential election. The projected construction cost for both stations is $42.5 million, with each year of delay adding an additional $2.6 million in expenses


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Page last updated: 28 Mar 2024, 05:57 AM