To the editor:

Realtors tell us of the importance of location in choosing a building site for whatever purpose. And that’s why I’m asking the village board and all village residents who are concerned about Saranac Lake and its future these questions:

1. Do you want a nearly 69,000 square foot emergency services building in a residential area?

2. Does the size of the building have to be almost three times the size of the space needed by the three services combined as determined by the 2012 feasibility study?

3. Do you want to spend an estimated $20 million on a services building in a location not easily accessed by all the community members they are designed to serve, when there is more than sufficient square footage for fire and rescue services (55,000 square feet) of village owned buildable space at the downtown Broadway site? (Ref: “Is Saranac Lake’s Petrova building plan a mistake we may regret?” by Mark Wilson, Enterprise, March 8.)

As for the police station, their present downtown location is an excellent one, and their need for more space can be met by expanding the department into the village-owned former Power and Light building (and former village offices building).

My last and, perhaps most important question, is why hasn’t the public been asked to join in a discussion with the board and emergency services officials to talk about how they might envision solution(s) to the needs for more space to improve our emergency services, and how they would like to see their tax dollars spent?

Elizabeth Kochar

Saranac Lake