Letter: No fire station on Middle School campus

As a long-time Weston resident whose children graduated from Weston High School, and with grandchildren currently in the Weston school system, I am extremely concerned about the plan to put a new fire station on the middle school campus, and I will be voting NO.

Let me be clear:  I fully support our firefighters and the need for a larger fire station. But the Middle/High School campus is not the right location. The impact on the schools, and recreation space has not been adequately studied.

No one from the schools or recreation board was on the Fire Station Working Group. I also understand that no one from the youth sports organizations which use those fields was consulted. The loss of a field could mean  practices could be later and later, a hardship on families.

What about the construction impact on our students?  What will it look like to potentially run two massive construction projects – a fire station and a new school – simultaneously on the same campus? 

I am concerned we are eliminating future flexibility without fully understanding what we are giving up, who it impacts and without community consensus.

I urge you to vote NO at Town Meeting.  Let’s find a better solution, for everyone.

Jackie Athas, Village Road