Fire Station 9 Redevelopment

The proposed project would demolish and reconstruct an operational fire station on the same site (0.92 acre). The existing station, which was constructed in 1956, is outdated and unable to support the staff or equipment needed for a modern fire protection agency. The new fire station building would be larger than the fire station that currently exists. The current station is a 2,215-square-foot single company, one-story station with two apparatus bays. The new structure would be an approximately 15,400-square-foot double-company, two-story station with three apparatus bays that would have a maximum height of 35 feet. The existing station has a three-person crew with one captain, one engineer, and one firefighter that works a 48-hour shift; it houses two fire engines. The new fire station would include offices and crew quarters for up to nine firefighters during their 48-hour shifts and an apparatus bay for storing three fire engines when not on call. The office/crew quarters portion of the building would include a lobby area, a battalion chief's office, station office, nine dorm rooms, a kitchen, dining and day rooms, an exercise room, a laundry room, a communications/IT room, multipurpose room, and five restrooms. The apparatus bay would include turnout and washrooms, gear storage rooms, a restroom, storage and compressor rooms, and mechanical and electrical rooms. The project would comply with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standard requirements which provides a framework for healthy, efficient, and cost-effective green buildings. The parcel would also be developed with paved areas for parking and an equipment yard for on-site vehicle cleaning and maintenance, along with two fuel tanks, an emergency generator, and a trash enclosure. In addition, landscaping and pedestrian walkways would be installed at the fire station entrance; stormwater retention basins would be installed within the landscaping throughout the parcel. Existing mature redwood trees at the corner of Center Avenue and Blackwood Drive would need to be removed from the project site. A 6-foot-tall privacy wall would be installed along Blackwood Drive, around the back of the property, and along Grayson Creek. The project would require the following variance and exception: • A front yard setback of approximately 4 to 10 feet is required. Access, Circulation, and Parking Fire engines would leave the station via Center Avenue and enter the station from Blackwood Drive. Three visitor parking spaces would be provided in the front parking lot that would be accessed from Center Avenue. Up to 16 employee parking spaces and two bike racks, for a total of four bikes, would be provided behind the building; these could be accessed from either Blackwood Drive or Center Avenue through automatic gates. Site plans are attached. Construction Project construction is anticipated to begin in late 2026 and take approximately 17 months. The first phase of construction would involve demolition of the existing fire station, which would take approximately 2 months. Site preparation, including grading activities, would take approximately 1 month. Trenching and utility line preparation would then occur and take approximately 1 month to complete. Construction of the building and its interior would follow and take approximately 12 months to complete. Following building construction, site work, including paving and landscaping, would take approximately 2 months to complete. A total of 2,000 cubic yards of fill material is anticipated over the course of project construction.