BEACHWOOD, Ohio –- Fire Chief Patrick Kearns said he is close to reaching an agreement with architects to design a new fire station.
He and Law Director Brian Reali have been working out the terms with URS Corp. engineering and design firm, and should have a final contract ready for City Council approval soon, Kearns said in a committee meeting Tuesday night.
He estimates the city will pay URS about $500,000. The chief said he was able to cut more than $35,000 from design and engineering fees by reducing some services he didn't think were needed.
The city has budgeted up to $8 million to build a new fire station on the northeast corner of Richmond Road and Park East Drive.
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The new station would replace Station No. 2 at 24619 Chagrin Blvd., which Kearns says lacks needed space and technology. Some residents have argued the city should instead renovate the current station, which opened in 1972.
Following are other highlights from Tuesday night.
Chagrin Boulevard traffic: Council approved a contact with the Ohio Department of Transportation to improve signals along Chagrin Boulevard, east of I-271 to Pepper Pike, Woodmere and Orange.
The project would synchronize the traffic lights at Maple Crest Avenue, and Brainard, Avondale and Belmont roads in the three municipalities and tie them into Beachwood's system to help alleviate traffic congestion.
The actual work will be done in Pepper Pike, Woodmere and Orange. Beachwood will maintain and control the system, but the city will not have to pay anything.
Beachwood Police Chief Keith Winebrenner said the project will help some with traffic bottlenecks on Chagrin, entering Woodmere. But the synchronization won't solve the problem because Chagrin cuts down from five lanes to two in that area.
Police at Ahuja: University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center wants to establish its own police department.
The hospital currently has protective service officers, but it would have to form a police department to have official jurisdiction over the hospital grounds and surrounding streets, Winebrenner said. The city police would also maintain jurisdiction, and would have a mutual aid agreement with the hospital.
Winebrenner said many hospitals have their own police.
The Ahuja protective service officers would get the same training as Beachwood police, and Councilman Mark Mintz called the idea a win-win.
City Council will have to vote to approve the partnership before it can move forward.
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