The Village of Manhattan voted unanimously Feb. 4 to permit creation of a four‑lot Public Safety Subdivision that will include a 21,000‑square‑foot fire station and administration building for the Manhattan Fire Protection District.

Trustees said the planned campus, on roughly 21 acres at the northeast corner of Smith Road and Eastern Avenue, will include Lot 1 for the fire station, Lot 2 for future commercial use, Lot 3 for a public works facility and Lot 4 for access and regional stormwater detention. Officials approved two ordinances rezoning the properties to general commercial, a preliminary plat, a final plat and a special‑use permit and site plan for the station.

Village officials said the fire station is intended as the district headquarters and will be designed so that the administrative side and one apparatus bay could be prefabricated as a template for future outstations. Architect John Ditter described a single‑story building with masonry and metal accents, an apparatus bay in precast concrete, and interior spaces split between administrative offices, an apparatus bay and living quarters. The board packet lists the station at about 21,000 square feet.

Chief Boyle of the Manhattan Fire Protection District told trustees the district currently has about 55 employees and that the proposed headquarters would normally house about five firefighters per shift plus training interns. Boyle said the district logged roughly 280 calls in January, extrapolating to about 3,600 calls a year, and that the new station is intended to decrease response times in the district’s growing northeast area. Boyle also said all future fire stations in build‑out could use the same modular plan and that apparatus doors will be 14 feet wide by 14 feet tall to accommodate ladder trucks.

On stormwater and site utility questions, staff said the subdivision will include a regional detention facility and a new water main and sewer service. Trustees asked whether any of the lots are in a mapped floodplain; staff answered that there is no floodplain on the site but noted there are wetlands, which involve separate jurisdictional review (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for federal wetlands). The plats and special‑use permit were approved after roll calls that recorded unanimous yes votes from trustees present.

The approved actions establish zoning and site approvals but do not yet authorize construction. Board and district officials said final engineering details and any additional permits will be submitted and reviewed before building permits are issued.