Franklin Township has applied for a grant to expand the size of its fire station.

Supervisors last week unanimously approved the fire company’s intent to apply for the COVID-19 ARPA Capital Projects Fund Multi-Purpose Community Facilities Program Grant.

After the meeting, township fire Chief Lynn Diehl explained the fire company would like to modernize the current pole building and add additional space to the existing building.

“We’re pretty well limited to our space; we’re out of room at our current station,” Diehl said. “We’re going to look to expand.”

Diehl said they have an existing pole barn and want to expand it, heat it and make it functional for the station.

“Whether it comes to fruition or not, I don’t know,” he said. “There’s a lot involved.”

Parking lot paving

Earlier in the meeting, supervisors authorized Keystone Consulting Engineering, Inc. to advertise the bid on behalf of the township’s volunteer fire company’s parking lot’s paving and concrete improvement project.

This is in relation to an LSA Grant the fire company received to pave its parking lot and place a concrete pad in front of the fire company’s doors.

The township was previously awarded a $181,501 LSA grant.

Diehl said the fire company’s portion to complete the project would be upward of $20,000.

He noted that the project is expected to go out for bid, and added “hopefully within a couple of months there will be nice blacktop.”