Most of 91原创 Township鈥檚 council agreed that Horne Pit would be a good site for a rebuilt Brookswood firehall, but the exact site led to debate at the most recent meeting.

Horne Pit is a 70-acre site in the 2700 block of 200th Street, stretching west to 196th Street on the Surrey border. For most of the last few decades it has been a gravel pit and equipment storage site for the Township, with large portions on the south of the site allowed to return to a state of nature, complete with ponds that now serve as the headwaters of the Little Campbell River.

Earlier this year, the council approved borrowing $25 million to build the new hall, with a total budget estimated between $25 and $30 million.

On Monday, June 26, the council voted again to establish Horne Pit as the definite site for the planned new hall, with the report indicating it would lie west of 200th Street, and just south of a new 27th Avenue, as indicated on the most recent concept plans for the land.

It was the plan for placing it to the south of the future road that sparked debate, as multiple environmentalists have called on council to preserve the site鈥檚 wetlands and forests, especially on its south side.

Councillor Kim Richter suggested that the motion should be changed to establish that the hall should be built to the north of 27th Avenue.

READ ALSO: Preserve Horne Pit wetlands, speakers urge 91原创 Township council

Her motion to not put the firehall on the southern side of the future road was defeated.

The meeting then descended into procedural wrangling for several minutes as Richter tried to put forward a modified version of her amendment, and Mayor Eric Woodward ruled it was out of order.

Richter challenged Woodward鈥檚 ruling as chair of the meeting, and lost the subsequent vote six to one.

A similar motion by Coun. Michael Pratt, which would have simply not said where on the site the firehall would go was also defeated.

Pratt said he wanted to not be prescriptive about the firehall鈥檚 final location, leaving staff to bring back at least two options for the council to choose from.

The council has not yet determined the final fate of most of the land in Horne Pit.

Aside from the wetlands, much of the land has been filled and levelled over the last few years.

Earlier this year, in advance of a public forum on the site, the Township unveiled an early proposal that included preserving 45 per cent of the site in a natural state, mostly on the southern half. Meanwhile, the northern and eastern portions would be developed with a mix of small-lot houses, townhouses, affordable housing, and the firehall.

However, the plan was described by Township staff as tentative, and has not been finalized.