FREEPORT – Residents of the rural District 2 section of Freeport who are paying significantly more than others in town for fire insurance are working to get a small satellite fire station built on property owned by Wolfe’s Neck Farm, near Flying Point Cemetery.

Fire Chief Darrel Fournier said that some residents of that district who live more than five miles from the fire station on Main Street are paying the maximum for fire insurance. Rates are determined by the Insurance Services Office, which is a conglomerate representing insurance companies, Fournier said. While those people are rated a class 10 by the organization, Fournier said, rates for people living near hydrants have been lowered from class 4 to 3, and insurance costs for people living in rural areas within five miles of the station have decreased from class 10 to 4.

But some residents of District 2 who live more than five miles from the station have a rating of 10.

Fournier said that, for the owner of a $250,000 home, a class 4 rating equals a $704 annual insurance bill, while for class 10 it’s $916. The difference for a $500,000 home is $1,300 compared to $1,700, he said.

District 2 covers from U.S. Route 1 northeast to Flying Point, Lower Flying Point, Pleasant Hill, Wolfe’s Neck and Litchfield roads, among others. Wolfe’s Neck Farm itself lies outside the five-mile limit, Fournier said.

“Lower Flying Point and Flying Point have some high property values,” Fournier said. “In the last 20 years, there’s been more construction and property value.”

Fournier said that some District 2 residents want to form an exploratory committee with the Town Council, to explore the possibility of building a two-bay, drive-through fire station near Flying Point Cemetery. During a Town Council District 2 workshop held on Sept. 2 at Mallet Barn, District 2 Councilor Sarah Tracy said that the council might appoint such a committee.

“A truck could be parked there,” said Tracy, who added that firefighters living in that area could be handy in responding to calls.

Dave Herring, executive director at Wolfe’s Neck Farm, confirmed last Friday that the organization is in discussions with town officials to come to an arrangement for a District 2 fire station on its property.

“We’ve got the space,” Herring said, “so I think it’s just a matter of working with the details.”

Herring said that property near Flying Point Cemetery is a possibility. He added that Wolfe’s Neck Farm property is “heavily restricted” in terms of easements, but thinks the organization can “make it work.”

“It would be good for the community,” Herring said.

Town Manager Peter Joseph said that Brunswick could be part of the mix, because the two towns have common areas that could benefit from a fire station in that vicinity.

Sam Smith and Joyce Veilleux were among the District 2 residents who broached the topic during the workshop. Both have spoken with Fournier.

Veilleux suggested to the council that an exploratory committee could consist of Fournier, a town councilor and three residents of the area. The difference between a class 4 and a class 10 rating represents “significant money,” she said. Many homes, as well as Wolfe’s Neck Farm and the L.L. Bean Paddling Center, are outside the five-mile radius, she said.

Veilleux, who lives on Island View Lane, said later that an anonymous donor has offered to help with the cost of a fire station.

Fournier has been in conversations with Wolfe’s Neck Farm officials.

“Wolfe’s Neck Farm seems very positive about locating some land to lease this fire station,” Fournier said. “This neighborhood is looking at savings. It’s a fairness issue.”

Fournier said he awaits direction from the Town Council.

The new station would be a wooden structure, with a preliminary plan calling for dimensions of 50-by-80 feet, he said. A rescue vehicle and fire engine would be parked in the bays. Fournier said he has no cost estimates yet.

The new station also could include sleeping quarters, Fournier said.

“There are students at Southern Maine Technical College who are studying to be firefighters or paramedics, and they could sleep there and responds to calls,” he said.