A proposed multiuse training facility on the Broad Mountain in Nesquehoning had a favorable plan review in front of Nesquehoning Planning Commission.

On Monday evening, representatives for the proposed facility, which would be utilized by fire departments, EMS services, police, county departments and other organizations in Carbon County, presented the borough planning commission with sketch plans for review.The commission, after a lengthy discussion, voted 3-0 to accept the plan as presented, with commission member John McArdle abstaining from the vote because of his involvement in the project.Carbon County Commissioners' Chairman Wayne Nothstein, a Lehighton volunteer firefighter who has been involved with the committee to find a location for such a training facility for volunteers, said that the county and the committee felt that the site next to the current Emergency Management Agency/911 Communications Center was the perfect location.The project is estimated to cost about $10 million, which the commissioners have said will be covered through grants.Volunteer firefighters had a burn building and training site on a small piece of land in Lehighton that was shared with youth organizations, but that building was condemned and demolished three years ago after engineers found it to be unsafe due to extreme deterioration.The new site would provide emergency services with a 46-foot high training tower and other practice sites, as well as various classrooms, a 90-100 seat lecture hall, storage for Carbon County Council of Government and other equipment and new offices for the Emergency Management Agency.Nothstein said that the project would benefit more than just emergency services because a number of organizations currently use the meeting rooms at the EMA building for trainings, meetings and exercises.Local trainingHe also explained that the current status of having no training facility has forced volunteers to have to travel out-of-county for trainings."We are trying to keep the training local," Nothstein said, adding that traveling with expensive equipment, as well as the time it takes to travel for trainings takes a toll on the volunteers because they are away from their families, and the area because if an emergency happens crews would not be available. "This becomes a cost savings for everyone."Nesquehoning Hose Company fire chief John McArdle added that any materials burned on the site would be class A, which is wood and straw items.He answered questions from Gerald Heffelfinger, chairman of the planning commission, regarding water supplies at the site.The facilities would be supplied by a retention pond fed by surface water runoff, as well as a backup well in the case of droughts."It's going to recycle water," McArdle said, noting that water used during trainings would come from the retention pond.Heffelfinger asked if there would be any contamination to the water supply through this method.McArdle said no because the items that will be burned are already naturally found in the environment.Michael Tirpak of Carbon Engineering, the engineer for the project, explained to the planning commission that the project would start with widening the current access road to the EMA building from 13 feet to 21 feet and extending it to the fire training site and new classroom building. Carbon County Commissioners have already applied for $1.5 million in grants to help cover the cost for the road.Second phaseOnce the road is complete, the second phase would include the construction of the training tower, followed by the construction of the Carbon County Emergency Operations and Training Center.David Lear and Larry Turoscy of Lehigh Engineering Associates Inc. of Walnutport, who is representing the borough in the project, also provided a review letter of the project.Lear said there were some concerns with the turning radius at the entrance of the site at Route 93, and made some suggestions with regard to what the county would need to do with regard to requirements for zoning and permitting."I have no problem with really any part of the project," Lear said.The proposed multiuse training facility project will have to go before the planning commission again for preliminary and final review, as well as the Carbon County Planning Commission, the borough zoning hearing board if it is deemed necessary, and borough council.