Bellinzona approves CHF 14m fire station purchase – but planning hits a wall

Bellinzona’s fire brigade is set to get a new home at the former LATI site in Sant’Antonino, after the city parliament approved the location and CHF 14 million for its purchase on Monday evening, 19 October. But the city executive failed to secure a crucial next step: a separate CHF 700,000 planning allocation fell short of the required absolute majority. The purchase decision therefore leaves the project’s future unresolved, with a referendum also looking likely.

The votes underline how divisive the proposed move remains. The location was approved by just 29 votes to 27. Support for buying the land and existing building was somewhat broader, at 34 to 22. Although the planning allocation attracted more votes in favour than against, it did not reach the absolute majority required for that decision.

Agreement on a new station, not its location

There is no fundamental disagreement in Bellinzona about the fire brigade’s need for new premises. Its current station no longer meets the requirements of a modern service. Nor does the brigade serve only the city centre: its operational area stretches from Bellinzona’s northern boundary to the Dirinella customs crossing in Gambarogno.

The dispute is principally about where the brigade should be based to cover that territory. Several options have been examined in recent months. For a long time, the former brewery site in Carasso was the leading contender. More recently, the city executive settled on the disused LATI premises in Sant’Antonino.

The proposal reached parliament with the backing of a majority of the municipal scrutiny committee, which oversees the city’s administration and finances. The fire brigade’s command also supports the location. Advocates argue that the site could bring the necessary functions together while retaining room for future development. That support, however, has not yet been enough to clear all the political hurdles.

Concerns over journeys to the centre

Opposition comes from, among others, former mayor Brenno Martignoni Polti, who represents the scrutiny committee’s minority position, and the Movement for Socialism, known locally as the Movimento per il socialismo. Concerns have also emerged within the fire brigade itself. A group of firefighters wrote to members of the city parliament, highlighting weaknesses in the proposed solution.

The authors remained anonymous because they feared personal repercussions. Their intervention exposes a further tension: while the brigade’s command supports the move, some members have reservations. The service cannot therefore be described as united behind the proposal.

The central objection concerns Sant’Antonino’s location. It is not immediately adjacent to the city centre and sits in an area known for heavy road traffic. Martignoni Polti argues that the response times presented suggest that journeys to incidents in the centre would take longer. He points to buildings there that would be particularly vulnerable in a fire.

For residents, those objections raise a basic question: how quickly could help arrive? The criticism relates specifically to access to the centre. Yet the choice of base must also account for the brigade’s extensive operational area. Balancing those demands is at the heart of much of the political disagreement.

Lower costs than Carasso – but disputed figures

Supporters see cost as a major argument for Sant’Antonino. The proposed scheme has an estimated total price of around CHF 34 million. The approved allocation for the land and building is CHF 14 million, with around CHF 20 million envisaged for implementation. The separate CHF 700,000 planning allocation, however, did not win the necessary approval.

The LATI option is presented as substantially cheaper than the previously favoured brewery site in Carasso. The comparison puts the difference at almost CHF 10 million. Pietro Ghisletta, a city parliament member for the Centre party, estimates potential savings of CHF 10 million to CHF 15 million. He also stresses the additional scope for development at the site.

The concept includes housing civil protection services in the former LATI building alongside the fire brigade. That shared use is another argument advanced in favour of Sant’Antonino. Whether the expected advantages outweigh the reservations remains politically contested. Opponents expect costs to rise, leaving the two sides divided not only over location but also over the reliability of the project’s financial assumptions.

Two obstacles remain

After Monday’s parliamentary session, the purchase and the subsequent planning work are at different stages politically. The city parliament has authorised the acquisition, but it has not approved the requested planning funds. How that part of the scheme will proceed remains open. Buying the property would not, by itself, guarantee that the new station goes ahead.

The other obstacle is the very likely referendum. If it goes ahead, eligible voters could have the final say on the disputed proposal. For Bellinzona, the stakes extend beyond the purchase price: the decision concerns both public spending and the future organisation of an essential emergency service across a wide area.

The immediate unresolved questions are how to advance the planning work without the requested allocation and whether the purchase decision will face a public vote. Monday evening established a parliamentary preference for Sant’Antonino, albeit a narrow one. It did not end the dispute over the fire brigade’s new home.