PIMA — Both the Pima Library and Pima Fire Station are bursting at the seams, which prompted Librarian Rane Jones and Fire Chief Scott Howell to approach the Town Council on new facilities.
“The growth in this town, as all of you have seen, (and) the growth at the school is huge,” Jones said, adding that the library’s biggest growth area is in the form of electronic services.
The library currently has 14,000 items in inventory, so Jones suggested development of a new, larger library across the street from Pima schools, which would allow the library to offer after-school programs.
Meanwhile, Howell suggested demolition of the existing fire station and development of a larger station at the same location, with improved ingress and egress, which would allow the department to purchase larger trucks.
During construction, Howell suggested the department house its trucks in the Pima Public Works yard, under permanently installed canopies, which could then be used to shade other town vehicles once the Fire Department moves into the new station.
The old library could be used to store Fire Department gear during construction, and turned into a new town police station once the new fire station is complete.
“We’re just looking for the town’s blessing; to say, ’Yes, go ahead and pursue looking for grants, and see if we can make this happen,’ ” he said.
Howell said there is no set dollar amount the two agencies are seeking. The Town Council unanimously supported the fund-raising effort by the library and Fire Department, but did not commit any town revenue.
