The Howard County Ambulance District is pausing their efforts to build a new base on a four-lot plot of ground in a Fayette neighborhood to explore other options. While the district has not abandoned its plans, the board on Wednesday night voted to hire Andrew Mackey, a Kansas City-based developer who specializes in constructing ambulance headquarters, to search for other land on which to build that maintains the district’s specifications.

The district has drawn considerable criticism after it stated it would build a new base on the corner of South Williams and Cooper streets, despite the Fayette city council’s denial of a zoning variance. The proposed build site, about two blocks south of its current location at the Keller Building, was purchased by the district in November. The land is four lots in a neighborhood zoned as RS1, which only allows single-family homes. Neighborhood residents have vehemently opposed the construction of the base.

The day after the city’s Board of Aldermen voted down the ambulance district’s request for conditional use zoning on the site, the district’s attorney, Frank Robert Flaspohler, issued a letter to the council stating that the city does not have the authority to deny the district’s plans because the building would be for public use.

The letter drew further criticism, especially on social media, where facts and feelings often run antithetical.

Five neighborhood residents spoke up at the ambulance board’s regular monthly meeting Wednesday night in the Keller Building. Sara Palmer, who has become the unofficial spokesperson for the neighborhood, told the board that she remains “dead set” against the construction proposal and said this was a hill she was prepared to die on.

“We think your legal position is wrong,” Palmer told the ambulance board. “And I think the position you’re taking is causing you to lose a great deal of community support. The way this has come about has left a seriously bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths. We’re not caving. We’re not done. We’re going to fight this.”

Neighborhood residents have complained that the new ambulance base will exacerbate existing problems with the sewer and water runoff. And they suggest the streets are already too narrow for regular automobiles. Large ambulances will only further congest roads.

However, one neighborhood resident spoke in favor of the new base. Laura Flaspohler said it would add to the community, and she would consider working there if it is constructed.

Ambulance board member Dr. Jessica Quint agreed that the situation should have been handled differently and asked what the district could do to help ease tensions.

Palmer said there are plenty of other locations in town that would be a better fit.

Ambulance Director Frank Flaspohler, Sr., contends that the new base must be along Highway 5 in Fayette because approximately two-thirds of calls are to either New Franklin or Glasgow areas. Having a base anywhere else in town would result in longer response times. The current base is located one block west of Highway 5. The proposed site is also one block from the highway.

Bart Ballew, another ambulance board member, told the neighborhood residents in attendance Wednesday that there was “no doubt” the district went about this the wrong way. “We didn’t really think this was going to be a big deal. Now we see that it is. So now what we want to try to do is figure out a way to make this work. We should have had this conversation six months ago before all this happened.”

Mackey said the standard process was not followed. “The process is a little more rigid,” he said, noting that normally a district would come up with three parcels of ground.

“I think the process could be slowed down a little bit. I know everybody’s intentions were great,” Mackey said. “Typically, we have a good neighbor meeting. But I can tell you have a little bit of animosity because of that process not being followed.”

The board voted to contract with Mackey to search for other land parcels. Meanwhile, plans to build on the four-lot property are on hold.

The ambulance board meets monthly at 6 p.m. on the second Wednesday of every month in the Keller Building conference room.