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Danbury council authorizes mayor to pursue Reserve Road parcel for West Side firehouse
Summary
The City Council voted to authorize the mayor to negotiate for — and, if necessary, acquire by eminent domain — a Reserve Road parcel for a new West Side fire station, citing faster response times; council members stressed careful outreach to HOAs and engineers and noted the parcel is currently held by an LLC.
Danbury’s City Council on Nov. 12 adopted a resolution authorizing the mayor to negotiate for the acquisition of a parcel on Reserve Road and to acquire property by eminent domain if necessary to build a new West Side fire station.
Council members said the site is within the city’s recommended response‑time zone and would reduce travel time to dense, largely wood‑framed housing developments atop the hill. "Anything we can do to reduce the response time, particularly as these buildings begin to age, is something that I fully support," Councilman Paul Rotello said, urging careful planning for access and community engagement.
The communication in the meeting packet, signed by Mayor Roberto Alves, described the parcel as within the study‑recommended zone and asked the council to authorize negotiation or eminent domain and any required funding. A deputy corporation counsel said the resolution would permit the mayor to move forward with acquisition and, as discussed in the meeting, negotiate and execute purchase agreements without returning to the council for acceptance of the purchase price.
Council members asked procedural and practical questions. One councilor asked who holds title; the administration said the parcel is owned by an LLC and negotiations are ongoing, so the LLC owner name was not released at the meeting. Rotello and others said engineers and homeowner associations would be brought into design conversations after acquisition to resolve driveway and access issues.
The council adopted the resolution by voice vote. The vote authorizes the administration to begin acquisition steps, including negotiation or eminent domain and any necessary funding, and directs staff to follow up with engineering studies and community outreach on access and site design.
Next steps: administration said it will pursue negotiations with the current owner (an LLC), obtain engineering reports and meet with affected HOAs and emergency‑services leaders about access and traffic implications before construction planning begins.
