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Neighbors oppose proposed purchase of Old Lexington Road property for relocated Fire Station 5; chief says station averages about 2.5–3 calls per day
Summary
Hundreds of residents near Old Lexington Road urged the commission to reject an option to purchase 4730 Old Lexington Road for a relocated Fire Station 5, citing quality-of-life, tree-loss, noise and water-runoff concerns; fire chief and staff described operational needs and estimated call volumes during commission discussion.
Several residents who live along Old Lexington Road and nearby addresses spoke at length against the county’s prospective purchase of a 7.5-acre parcel (referred to in public testimony as 4730 Old Lexington Road) that staff identified as a candidate site for a relocated Fire Station Number 5.
Speakers told commissioners the parcel sits directly adjacent to long-standing homes and said a fire station would bring sirens, lights, audible testing, engine noise and round‑the‑clock activity that would destroy the rural character residents said they moved to the area to enjoy. Multiple speakers raised concerns about tree removal, water runoff near adjacent creeks and a proposed purchase price that residents described as far higher than recent nearby land sales. One public commenter recounted selling six acres two years earlier at $10,000 per acre and contrasted that with the county’s proposed purchase price of roughly $64,000 per acre, which residents said would be an excessive use of public funds.
Commissioners asked staff to provide more documentation about the site-selection process, and several asked that staff publish the selection criteria and prior materials that led to identifying the site; one commissioner said he would issue a request (CDO) to look for other county-owned or for-sale properties. Commissioner Davenport said he had driven and timed routes and believed that alternative commercial corners near Morton Road and Lexington Highway offered similar response times and would reduce tree loss and homeowner disruption.
Fire Chief Moss participated in the discussion and described station operations. He said the engine currently assigned to Station 5 averages about 2.5 to 3 calls per day, and that roughly 60% of those are medical responses. He also said the site-selection process followed NFPA and ISO considerations and that staff had requested buffering in the site design to reduce impacts on neighbors. Planning and transportation staff said schematic site design could include visual and lighting mitigations and that the site area under consideration is larger than the minimum needed for the station so that buffering could be accommodated.
No final purchase decision or vote was recorded in the provided excerpt. Commissioners asked for more public information about selection criteria, call-volume data, site buffering and alternatives before moving forward.
