Saline Township Approves Fire Training Facility

Saline Township has approved a special land use permit for a Saline Area Fire Department training facility on the north side of Michigan Avenue between Schill and Dell roads.

The Township Board approved the permit July 8 after the Planning Commission held a public hearing and recommended approval the night before. The board vote was 5-0.

Fire Chief Jason Sperle told planning commissioners July 7 that the department needs dedicated training space and that the proposal is limited in scope.

“To walk back from rumors, it’s pretty much a pole barn with props,” Sperle said.

The site would be used for training, not as an active fire station, Sperle said. Firefighters would not respond to calls from the site, and the department does not plan to conduct live fire training or store hazardous materials there.

The training facility is tied to the nearby Voyager battery storage project, a separate project on Michigan Avenue between Schill and Dell roads. In a June memo to the Saline Area Fire Authority Steering Committee, Sperle said Jupiter Power and Saline Township had agreed that Jupiter would build two barns as part of the site and deed about 5 acres to the fire authority after the buildings are complete.

One barn is planned for training and one for storage. Sperle told planning commissioners the storage building could hold equipment such as a children’s smoke training trailer, a boat and bulk supplies. He said it would not store a ready-to-go fire truck.

Most training would happen indoors, though Sperle said some ladder training could take place outside. Early use could be frequent as firefighters set up the facility, but after that, use would vary. Typical training could involve about five firefighters or two trucks, he said.

Sperle said the facility would help the department train at a time when fewer buildings are available for demolition practice. He described plywood walls that firefighters could mark up and use as training props.

Planning commissioners asked about lighting, road access, landscaping, water supply, application documents and whether the project was consistent with the township’s master plan. Sperle said he wants minimal lighting at the site.

“When we leave, we want it to look like a farm,” Sperle said.

One nearby resident asked whether the public could see drawings of the plan and where the buildings would sit on the property. Sperle said he doubted neighbors would see much of the building and said he hopes the site could eventually include a fire department substation.

The Voyager project also includes a 32,000-gallon water tank that fire officials said could be used by other departments through mutual aid. Sperle said the tank would refill itself in about 18 hours.

Nearby property owners within about a half-mile could potentially see lower insurance costs because of the water source, he said, though he did not guarantee that would happen.

At the Township Board meeting July 8, Supervisor Tom Hammond said the Planning Commission had recommended approval.

“The Planning Commission’s recommendation was for approval,” Hammond said before making the motion.

The board then approved the special land use permit without additional discussion.

Featured photo: Saline Area Fire Chief Jason Sperle speaks during the July 7 Saline Township Planning Commission meeting about a proposed fire training facility. Photo by Heather Finch