A new fire station that will serve part of Lake Saint Louis is getting closer to reality with the city’s approval of a rezoning and preliminary development and site plans.

The city’s Board of Aldermen approved development and site plans at its Nov. 20 meeting for a fire station on a 2-acre site along Lake Saint Louis Boulevard as well as a zoning change for the site, from community business district to downtown lakefront redevelopment overlay district.

The Lake Saint Louis Fire Protection District plans to build a 12,950-square-foot fire station at the 2-acre site that is located on a commercial lot in the Landing Plat Four subdivision, which is along Lake Saint Louis Boulevard south of Bent Oak Cutoff.

Fire district residents approved two separate measures in August 2016 – an $8 million bond issue and an 18-cent tax increase to pay off debt, consolidate two outdated fire stations into one, acquire new equipment and hire more firefighters. The district plans to combine its two existing stations – Station 1 at 2533 Lake Saint Louis Boulevard and Station 2 at 26 South Ellerman Road – into one station.

Chief Clinton Gussner said the new station will provide better response times than the two existing stations. The district’s coverage area is 7 square miles and includes much of the older part of town south of Interstate 70 and north of I-64 including the area surrounding the 550-acre main community lake and its 75-acre Lake Sainte Louise.

The much larger Wentzville Fire Protection District covers a portion of the city west of Freymuth Road and south of I-64. The Wentzville district covers 88 square miles and is bounded by Warren County to the west, Lincoln County to the north and areas south of Interstate 70, including portions of Lake Saint Louis, Dardenne Prairie and the villages of Flint Hill and Josephsville.

Faced with its own financial issues, the Wentzville district is implementing major expansion plans that include a new fire station at 8200 Orf Road, which will aid fire protection in the Lake Saint Louis area. The Orf station was funded by a $30 million bond issue and a 25-cent tax increase approved in 2014.

Plans for the Lake Saint Louis fire station include administrative offices a bunk room for 18 beds; a board and training room; and a kitchen, dining and day room; and a single curb cut access to Lake Saint Louis Boulevard.

Gussner said the district plans to sell the two existing fire station locations. The groundbreaking for the new station may be held in late February.

Meanwhile, a new pumper truck, employees and equipment have been added to the Lake Saint Louis district since last year.