FAYETTE – Townspeople will soon own a brand new three-bay fire station.

After an almost two-hour special town meeting, citizens of this sparsely populated town voted to make the dream of a new town fire station a reality.

Voters packed into the Fayette Central School gymnasium were asked to accept a Community Development Block Grant in the amount of $250,00 and borrow a matching $235,000 to pay for the station. The total amount for the construction and land purchase should not exceed $485,000, but actual costs won’t be known until bids are submitted.

There is no running water or toilet facilities in the current station and there is limited meeting, storage, training and parking space.

In September 1999, townspeople planned to renovate and expand the existing station, but a study done in April 2000 proved that was impractical.

In accepting the CDBG grant, the town is obliged to match it by at least 20 percent. Some residents said the town’s $235,000 portion was too high a price, because the minimum 20 percent match was just $50,000. Several attempts were made to change the town’s share to $50,000 and then $150,000, but a secret written ballot upheld the $235,000 contribution by a vote of 71 to 58.

“There’s no comfort zone here,” said Selectman Timothy Walton, in reference to suggestions to lower the amount the town would pay.

“I’m very happy about the outcome of this meeting and this truly shows the way democracy works, ” said Selectman David Pollock.

Voters also accepted an estimated $21,700 from the town surplus to purchase four acres of land between Watson Heights Road and Route 17.