A proposed new fire station for the city of Leeds has become a point of disagreement among members of the city council based on a discussion during a work session on Monday night.

Several council members are asking that another site be looked at in addition to the recently proposed site near Historical Park along Highway 119. The new location introduced Monday is a location on Highway 78 where the Leeds Armory building stood prior to its demolition last year.

One of the big reasons councilmembers are asking to review the armory site is the cost of preparing the property for construction.

“I understand it will cost somewhere around $100,000 to get (the Highway 119) land built up so we can build there,” said Councilmember Johnny Kile. “If we use the armory site, we won’t have to build it up.”

Kile and Councilmember Susan Carswell said they drove to measure distances from the armory site, saying there was little difference between in meeting a five-mile radius goal from the proposed fire station to the areas needing coverage within the city.

“It bothers me that Highway 119 has driveways right there where the (fire) trucks will be pulling out and that it is so close to the parks,” Carswell said. “Highway 119 is residential and Highway 78 is commercial. It just seems like a better location.”

Both Kile and Carswell said they felt it was a waste of money to build up the site on Highway 119. Kile said that money could be used for other projects, including a splash park that could replace the city pool as a recreational area for residents.

Mayor Eric Patterson said the Highway 119 site was proposed because of the low response time to the valley, where homeowners are paying the highest fire insurance fees due to their proximity to a station and because of the traffic that already exists at the armory site, which is already home to the police station, city hall, the civic center, and a sports complex. In addition, he said fire trucks would have to have enough space for turning their trucks without the fear of oncoming traffic.

Councilmember Kenneth Washington said he felt the armory site would also be better.

“I never cared for (the Highway 119) site. I believe the citizens would be better served with the station (on Highway 78),” Washington said.

Councilman Ross Bartee said he would like to see a comparison on paper between the two sites.

“Both sites would have issues. But, if we can save $100,000 we definitely need to look into it,” Bartee said.

The mayor said a committee could be formed to look into the two sites.

The council also discussed city boards, the recycling center, and yard sale permits during the work session. Because it was a work session, no official action was taken.