On Tuesday, March 30, the Hicksville Fire District's Board of Commissioners will hold a second public meeting to provide the community with another opportunity to offer comment on finding a viable solution to the overcrowded conditions at the department's Station 2. The meeting, which will begin at 7 p.m. at fire department headquarters on East Marie Street, is being held to provide those residents who were unable to attend the district's Feb. 18 meeting a chance to hear reports and express their feelings about the possible expansion of Station 2.

At this time, the same detailed report featured at the February meeting will be presented to show the current crowded conditions at the existing firehouse and the need for renovation of the facilities. H2M Group, the architectural and engineering firm with environmental expertise retained by the district to assist with the assessment of the project, will again present the findings of a study it conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using alternative sites for the firehouse.

The study, which assessed both practical and financial considerations, including firefighter response times to Station 2, looked at nearby Brownfield sites and Town of Oyster Bay properties in Hicksville, as suggested by residents at prior meetings. A series of renovation plans previously considered for the existing site, including the most recent proposed plans, will also be presented. Finally, the board of fire commissioners will take comments from the public on this very important issue.

According to fire officials, however, the meeting will not address the feasibility of building a new Station 2 firehouse on a nearby Town of Oyster Bay sump. At the conclusion of last month's meeting, the Hicksville Board of Fire Commissioner's voted to look into the option of using the sump on Ronald Avenue as the future location for Station 2. With that possibility still in its initial phase, there will be no public discussion regarding that location during March 30 meeting.