Board clears path for Gloucester Volunteer Fire & Rescue station financing, waives LEED requirement to save costs

The Gloucester County Board of Supervisors signaled support for moving a planned replacement for Station 1 forward, asking the Economic Development Authority (EDA) to explore financing options and approving an exemption from LEED certification for the project to reduce construction costs.

Bruce Soules, president of Gloucester Volunteer Fire & Rescue, summarized the project’s financial picture: initial planning and property costs through October 2023 of $2,250,000; total construction and related fees planned at about $5,000,175 (A&E, contingency, soft costs, construction manager); and apparatus and equipment purchases totaling roughly $3,021,000 for vehicles including a remounted medic, two engines, a rescue truck and a utility truck. Soules emphasized that despite recruitment challenges volunteer membership remains committed.

Joseph Letterman, assistant chief (Petworth District), said site plans have been submitted and thanked county staff members who helped advance the project. County staff and board members discussed financing routes: because the project had been presented on a referendum, using general obligation bonds would trigger a five-year wait; the EDA offers a path to access funding sooner. Staff clarified that while the EDA would be the financing mechanism, the county would remain responsible for repayment.

Speaker 5 moved a resolution granting an exemption from design and construction standards to remove LEED certification from the municipal-building requirement for this project to save taxpayer dollars; the motion was seconded and carried by affirmative voice votes.

Why it matters: The decision accelerates the financing pathway and lowers immediate construction costs but leaves final ownership, exact financing amounts and procurement details to later legal and EDA processes.

What’s next: The board asked the EDA to return with formal proposals; county attorneys and the fire department will finalize legal language and procurement steps prior to construction.