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The Lansing Fire Commissioners delayed acting on a bid to extend the equipment bay and replace the roof at Station 3 in Lansingville when the only bid received came in $96,000 higher than expected.  Station 3 is the only one of the district's four fire stations that has yet to be updated.  The bay extension would allow modern fire turcks to fit inside the fire station and provide storage space.

"It's basically a masonry and a roofing job," said Architect George Breuhaus.  "We want to take out the back wall and extend the apparatus bay another 22 feet.  That will extend the overall length to 60 feet.  It gives you the ability to put in a ladder truck if you want to, and provide some space behind.  The roof is now 18 years old.  With the new energy code we have to add an additional two inches.  So we might as well do the whole roof and get it up to the current code."

The bid specified that the job should be completed by October 20th because of the temperature-sensitive roof and masonry work required.  Many contractors told Breuhaus that with the amount of work they had already committed to for this construction season they couldn't commit to meeting that deadline.  Bouley Associates Inc. of Auburn, NY was the only firm to submit a bid.  Their bid was for $393,000 for the bay extension and roof job, plus $4,000 if four windows are installed and $17,000 to remove a bar joist and add steel member framing.  Breuhaus noted that Bouley Associates worked on Central Station a few years ago.

Breuhaus consulted with a number of local contractors and subcontractors in coming up with an estimate in the $280,000 range, and the Commissioners had budgeted $318,000 for the job.

"It doesn't mean you can't do it," said Lansing Fire District Treasurer George Gesslein.  "I'm just saying that's where you thought it was coming out."

Breuhaus said he would make some calls to clarify the bid price, and the fire commissioners could decide on whether or not to accept the bid at their next meeting later this month.

"This seems way high," he said.  "I want to know where the other $100,000 is."

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