Old Northside Fire Station to be sold

FINDLAY — Findlay's old Northside Fire Station, 401 N. Main Street, is heading for the auction block. The city of Findlay is seeking a rezoning of the firehouse and its parking lot on Cherry Street in anticipation of the sale. Mayor Christina Muryn said the city plans to divest the property in the coming year because it is no longer being used. Both the fire station and its parking lot on Cherry Street are currently zoned "C-2 General Commercial." Muryn said the C2 zoning limits the use of the site due to parking requirements, which are based on square footage. The standard would require the large building to have an excessive amount of parking. The city is working through the process to have the site rezone as "C-3 Downtown Commercial," which has no parking requirement. "We believe that C-3 opens it up to the highest and best use," Muryn said. "... The city does not know the specific end use, though we have an idea of some interested parties. We anticipate the building staying as we want to protect its historical significance as the first fire station in the city." The firehouse was built during Findlay's natural gas and oil boom in the late 1880s, a period of rapid population growth and development. It was an essential part of the city's expanding infrastructure. The zoning request has been referred to the Findlay Planning Commission and Findlay City Council's Planning & Zoning Committee. The rezone will require council's approval.