May 23, 2013

The Fire Tower Caper

A molovinsky on allentown exclusive. The residents of Allentown are being told that if we do not sell the fire training tower to the Lehigh Valley Hospital Laboratory for expansion, we're in danger of losing a large employer. It appears much more likely that it's the back end of a long standing plan, and that the hospital is accommodating us. There have been plans for at least two years for a new fire training facility, and the city has been soliciting grants for such. The multi-story, multi-million dollar training facility is to be built adjoining the police academy in Lehigh Parkway. The location is the road and hill currently used as the temporary exit road for the park,  and also used as the exit during the Lights In Parkway. In the past this area served the public as park land, used for many years by model plane enthusiasts. The new training center would bring all the heavy fire equipment from nearby counties, necessitating a wider road, moved further east of the current single lane exit road. This would be in line with the new park tradition of spreading more macadam. molovinsky on allentown has also learned that with new adjoining police and fire training facilities, there is discussion of a new position, Public Safety Director. The Director would oversee Police, Fire and EMS. The new position would require appropriate assistants and secretaries, in The City Without Limits.

reprinted from July 2012

UPDATE: Although this blog broke this story almost a year ago, it is now coming home to roost. As it turns out, the hospital now supposedly wants the additional space just for additional parking. Needless to say, there is plenty of room at Queen City to accommodate parking, without tearing down the existing fire training facility. The new facility in Lehigh Parkway would forever deny citizens previous park land and infringe upon the park's passive intent. Michael Rosenfeld, a former director of the Allentown Redevelopment Authority, spoke out against the new plans. Pawlowski's reply: "As a city resident, Mr. Rosenfeld ought to be ashamed of himself for trying to oppose this." In The City Without Limits, opposing opinion is limited.

5 comments:

  1. He will do what he wants. Because he is the mayor.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Allentown has the Government (and Mayor) it wants.

    End of story.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Isn't this the same Airport Authority with a multi-million dollar legal settlement to pay for?

    If they didn't use the money for general aviation, you'd think they'd be smart enough to use it towards that.

    What they hell are they thinking?

    ReplyDelete
  4. It's his Parkway. He can do what he damn well pleases.

    ReplyDelete
  5. The Mayor deserves more respect. He is a good,God fearing,Christian man. He is smarter than most of us and he has all the facts. I don't understand why people just don't see he knows what's best.

    ReplyDelete

ANONYMOUS COMMENTS SELECTIVELY PUBLISHED. SIGNED COMMENTS GIVEN MORE LEEWAY.