Fire officials overlooked fee for new station
PLAINFIELD -- When the Plainfield Fire District bought 2 acres in 2007 for its fourth fire station, apparently no one noticed a catch in the fine print.
The property, on Frederick Street just south of Renwick Road, is in an association, which means the district is on the hook for fees that cover services such as snow removal and landscaping.
District officials recently received an invoice for the fees, which amounted to about $400, said Bill Barnes, a fire protection district trustee.
"How does this happen?" Barnes said. "I guess either the seller or the buyer didn't look at (the contract) too closely.
"It's unfortunate we got caught. I was very upset with that," Barnes said.
It is a crucial location for the fire station, and has shaved time off the district's response to the south side of the district.
"I don't think (knowing about the association) would have changed their decision to buy it," said Tom Gilbert said, attorney for the fire district. "We paid good money for that property, we had to have that spot because we really needed to be in that location."
It's not unusual for a planned unit development such like that to have an association in place, Gilbert said.
Gilbert said he's investigating what services the fees cover, to ensure the district is getting what it's paying for.
Barnes said the district does its own snow plowing, and would rather not have to pay for plowing services. But Gilbert said the district likely will have to remain in the association.
"It is what it is. It's a restriction that comes with the land," Gilbert said. "It's not a huge expense."
