Ridgehill Update

[Guest]

Ridge Hill is supposed to break ground in the Spring, according a recent article in the Journal News:

http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...D=2007703110376

What does this mean for YFD St. 10 and other YFD issues with regard to this project moving forward?

[Guest]

eh, probably nothing...who knows

probably take another couple of years anyway before we find out...would love to hear otherwise!

any updates on the Downtown projects? thats been quiet

[61MACKBR1 222]

I have not heard or read anything new on the Downtown Development in Yonkers as it relates to the Yonkers Fire Department. The last read about the Downtown Development was the Artist Rendition of the New YFD Headquarters and Training Facility. The last I had read about the Ridge Hill Site and YFD, was that YFD was planning on moving the Ridge Hill Bunker to another site (possibly the Newly Planned Fire Headquarters, which I understand is being planned as a Fire Headquarters and Training Facility), and that the plans as outlined in the Project Plan for Ridge Hill, was to add 1 additional Fire Company, allegedly a Ladder Company (Ladder 77). Now where that new Ladder Company will be quartered is another question. Rumors (and strictly rumors, so everyone take stock in it being only a rumor) have been mentioned about the possibility of creating a New Station 10 at the Old Waterworks Building on Tuckahoe Road, housing Engine 310 and this New Ladder 77, with the Old Station 10 being used a the site for the Yonkers Fire Department Muesum (instead of the old carrage house Station 8). Again, this is what I have read or heard. Does anyone else have any additional information on this?

[Guest]

ahh rumors. scourge of the industry

Gotta learn to love them, because I certainly dont believe in them anymore!

[Guest]

The news said the FBI issued subponeas to the city council or somthing....

[fjp326 42]

I will be chained to the apparatus door of station 10 if they ever come to move us out!

[Oswegowind 17]

Dennis Robertson (City Council Member and Mayoral Candidate) announced on News12 that he has been cleared by the FBI. Apparently they are trying to weed out corruption in Yonkers...want to know who filed a report with the FBI.

[x635 4,066]

My question is, everyone is so concerned about the FD being up there, and that's completly legit.

But what about Yonkers PD? How many cars will be needed in this sector? Will it be big enough for a 5th precindt or satellite facilty since it will be so remote from other YPD resources?

Also, what about EMS coverage? Will Empress stage another ambulance dedicated to the Ridge Hill community?

All of these issues need to be considered beyond the FD if Ridge Hill is going to have the speculated population that the developers predict.

[Guest partyrock]

The type of community going in here will probably have little demand for more police and EMS. My guess is the police load could be covered by exisiting staffing with maybe an extra BLS and or redeploy current units to cover the call volume

[RWC130 594]

I love the comment made by fjp326!

[Oswegowind 17]

The Ridge Hill area is part of 103 sector at this time...pd wise...this is a 1 man patrol unit 24/7/365...we have heard that it will become a 2 man unit and that possibly an additional sector car will be added. Nothing is official because there is no development as of yet. It is also not uncommon for Yonkers to have mini precincts. There is Radford St (Fire Station 4) which houses Community Affairs at this time and Civil Defense/OEM. There is 28 Wells Ave (4th Pct), near the Yonkers Train Station behind the DMV office which the Getty Square Posts use once in a while...has an emergency phone that rings to HQ if someone needs help or anything. I am sure that if the builder builds a mini pct at the Ridge Hill development that the dept will use it in some fashion. However the 1st pct is not nearly as populated as the others so I do not see a reason for an additional pct to be added.

As for Empress they operate on System Status Management or a variation there of. I don't believe that they will just add a unit because of a large development unless monies are provided for it. Instead they will wait and see if the call volume indicates necessity for an additional 911 unit. Remember, none of their units are dedicated to Yonkers all of the time...they respond mutual aid to MV/Pelham, do routine transports, and other things. Unfortunately they are strictly fee for service in Yonkers and they are not really held to dedicated units as a result. It gets the job done for the most part.

As for the YFD, remember that these will be new modern structures, fire proof or resistant and all. Effects will not be all that great. They will generate call volume of some type because people are people and forget they are cooking or have medical emergencies, but it is not the first time apartments have been constructed and won't be the last. You can't just add a whole new division because it sounds like a large project...there are a lot of considerations that are deliberated upon. More of a concern is where the Special Ops Teams will go for the time being.

[61MACKBR1 222]

Very Good Points raised pertaining to both YPD, Empress and YFD. My understanding from reading the proposal from the Developer was that the Developer was willing to assist in funding an additional fire company (maybe a New Ladder Company) as well as supporting the construction of a New Fire Station to help cover this New Ridge Hill Development. I do agree, that the new structures that will be eventually built up at this New Ridge Hill Development, will be Modern/ Fire Resistant Buildings, with all of today's modern safety features. However, you also have additional population that will be located up there and with the YFD First Responder Program, you should see an increase in the amount of calls (10-45's) that will occur. Same for EMPRESS, which "may" result in the possibility of adding a BLS Unit to Yonkers?

There has been talk of a New YFD Station being built at the foot of Ridge Hill, along Tuckahoe Road. Only time and the progress of the Ridge Hill Development will tell.

[Oswegowind 17]

Careful when you say funded...there is no intention of doing more than poss providing a station or apparatus...funding would entail years of money exchange between the developer and the City. I don't believe that any developer would simply fund a firehouse's existence, just not cost effective...In order to run a firehouse over the years it would become way to expensive and no developer is going to lose money. Most of the time the offers such as buying a piece of apparatus or building a house, and such is to appease the people....very similar to a kickback except that one person is not the recipient and it affects a group of persons in a positive way!

As well about a new firehouse...there are currently no plans that I have seen other than those for the Stadium Area downtown that would include a new Fire Headquarters as previously posted/discussed on this site. I have seen prelim drawings for Ridge Hill but nothing really that solid. I also think that there are many things needed to be done about Ridge Hill including an exit ramp from the Sprain Brook Parkway...Having one way in and one way out (NYS Thruway) is really silly in this day and age. If you have ever gone to Stew's or that general vicinity on a Saturday/Sunday it is just a mess. Exit 6A (current) will require major modifications in both the north and south directions, fortunately the area is wide enough to accomodate such mods due to the proximity of the toll barrier which is very wide. IMO exit from NB would have to be a minimum of 4 lanes...2 to go up to RH and 2 to continue over to Stew Leonard Dr/Sprain RD. I can also see another couple of overpasses added to permit traffic going in only one direction E/W between the two locations! From the Sprain they could hook up a rather large exit/entrance thanks to all that space avail just north of the DOT yard...don't think they will build a NB ramp over the reservoir though!

Edited March 23, 2007 by Oswegowind

[efd184 59]

this project will never happen!

[yfd910 8]

this project will never happen!

←

Way to be positive, Probie!!

This project means millions in revenue to the City of Yonkers Schools, Police and Fire. Your fellow "IAFF BROTHERS", whose sticker you have next to your name and on your car, are counting on this project going through.........get a grip, will ya!!

[Oswegowind 17]

I personally feel that this project will proceed. It is a waste of space, not even worth making into parkland considering that on the northern border there of is the Sprain Ridge Park, right?

It is an important project to the future of Yonkers...will spur growth and bring in a hell of a lot of revenue to the City. And that is not only important to the IAFF but to all of us City Workers especially the ones who have to handle all the calls it will procure.