"That siren's going to be going off in the middle of the night," said 86-year-old Earl Mittman, who has lived near Towson Manor Park — in a neighborhood of single-family homes, rowhouses and brick duplexes, as well as more than 120 new townhomes called Towson Green — for more than 40 years.

Ronald Butler, 17, said he goes to the park almost every day after school. Downtown Towson has no movie theater anymore, and there aren't many places to go where you don't have to spend money, the Towson High School senior said.

"We come here just to relax and to chill," said Butler, who was hanging out with friends Tuesday afternoon. "This is a very nice spot to sit."

County Councilman David Marks, a Perry Hall Republican who represents Towson, said he would not support moving the firehouse to a park, and is working with the county administration to find other spots.

"There's a larger dialogue that needs to occur about how we're going to pay for infrastructure and school improvements at a time when the state is cutting back, shoving more responsibilities our way, and when citizens don't want their taxes raised," Marks said.

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Properties that could be sold

County Executive Kevin Kamenetz has proposed selling three pieces of county land to raise money for school upgrades, especially air conditioning:

•The Towson Fire Station at the intersection of York Road and Bosley Avenue. The station could be moved to Towson Manor Park.

•The North Point Government Center on Wise Avenue in Dundalk. The police precinct at the government center would move to the building that now houses Eastwood Center Elementary, whose students would be moved to another location. Recreational programs at the center would be moved to nearby schools and rec centers.

•The Randallstown police substation on Liberty Road, which would be moved to the county's Vehicle Operation and Management building on the same road.