Elkridge Fire Station Update: Howard County Makes a Move

A new Elkridge fire station is closer to becoming a reality, according to the Howard County Fire Department, though construction would be a few years away.

The county has officially put in an offer on property at Bauman Drive and Montgomery Road in Elkridge, Jackie Cutler, spokeswoman for Howard County's Department of Fire and Rescue Services, told Patch Monday.

"They've made an offer but it hasn't gone through yet," said Cutler. "They're in the final stages of negotiation."

There hasn't been communication with the public on the proposed fire station since a .

At that time, Howard County Fire Chief William Goddard told the Greater Elkridge Community Association the county was looking to buy the three-acre parcel at Bauman Drive and Montgomery Road, in part to ensure emergency personnel were meeting the county’s standard of an eight-minute response time for calls for help.

In addition, maintaining the facility has become increasingly expensive, he said. The Elkridge Volunteer Fire Department (EVFD) was designed in 1942 and trucks have had to be modified to fit in its .

Coupled with the problems of an aging station, Goddard said the new location would position EVFD to serve the population in Elkridge, an area he said has “exploded” in population. According to the census, the number of residents has more than doubled over the past decade.

Still, plans have yet to be finalized and “for sale” signs remain on the property on Montgomery Road at Bauman Drive.

“A lot is in flux still,” said Kevin Enright, spokesman for Howard County, in an Aug. 15 email. “We are still in negotiations.”

Enright explained it is difficult to pinpoint how long the process will take. “Negotiations are hard to predict,” he said, “but we may be one to two months away from finishing the purchase.”

After acquiring the land, Enright said the next step would be to establish a planning committee for the project and launch into the design; construction will likely not take place for a few years.

“There are no funds available for construction in the current budget,” said Enright. “The project shows funding being requested in FY2014; that construction would take up to a year and a half to complete.”