A North Andover Planning Board member questioned whether the town's proposed third fire station includes wildfire protection at an Aug. 25 public hearing.

Board member Peter Boynton raised concerns about previous wildfires near the Berry and Turnpike streets site and asked whether the 9,000-square-foot station's design included any mitigation measures, the Andover Townsman reported. He pointed to wildfire mitigation efforts in states like Colorado as a model and questioned whether a landscaping plan would limit vegetation that could fuel a fire.

"Not just to save on budget, but you don't want a lot of foliage for decorative purposes near this critical infrastructure," Boynton said. "Less is better for me."

Katie van Hamel of Saccoccio and Associates Architecture, the project's design firm, said the apparatus bay will be a prefabricated metal building made of noncombustible materials. The station will also have a full sprinkler system and 3-foot-high concrete foundation walls, according to the Townsman.

North Andover voters approved a $7.5 million bond for the station's design and construction at a May 2026 Town Meeting, the Eagle Tribune reported. The station would sit on 2 acres of a 21-acre town-owned parcel, according to Planning Director Jean Enright. Van Hamel said the location would give the southern part of North Andover faster response times.

The building will include five apparatus bays, a mezzanine, 16 employee parking spaces and two accessible spaces.

A communications tower not included in the original site plan was also presented at the hearing. Fire Chief John Weir said the original antenna was planned for the building's back side. The tower is now proposed for the north gable end of the apparatus bay, which would push the sidewalk out 3 feet.

Boynton also raised noise concerns, recalling that 50 years ago an old police station had cruisers left running with radios on day and night, disturbing the neighborhood. Weir said all fire vehicles are parked inside and mobile radios shut off when the ignition is turned off. He added that firefighters look to be good neighbors at all the town's stations.

The project goes before the Zoning Board of Appeals on Tuesday, Sept. 15. The Planning Board hearing continues Tuesday, Sept. 22. The Conservation Commission is also reviewing the project.