To: Board of Supervisors
From: Lewis Broschard, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
Report Title: Fire Station 9 Redevelopment Project
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Acting as the governing board of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Fire Station 9 Redevelopment Project and the Public Works Director, on behalf of the Fire Chief, or designee, to advertise the Project, in the unincorporated Pacheco area. [Project No. WH728B] DCD-CP# 25-38 (District V), and
FIND, based on the whole record, including the proposed Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration and any comments received and staff responses thereto, that there is no substantial evidence that the Project may have a significant effect on the environment, and that the Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) reflects the independent judgment and analysis of the lead agency, Contra Costa County (County).
ADOPT the MND and Mitigation and Monitoring Reporting Program (MMRP) for the Project.
SPECIFY that the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District is the custodian of the documents and other material that constitute the record of proceedings upon which the Board’s decision is based, and that the record of proceedings is located at 4005 Port Chicago Highway, Suite 250, Concord, CA 94520.
DIRECT the Public Works Director, on behalf of the Fire Chief, or designee, to cause a CEQA Notice of Determination (NOD) to be filed with the County Clerk and State Clearinghouse, and
AUTHORIZE the Public Works Director, on behalf of the Fire Chief, or designee, to arrange for payment of $3,043.75 for California Department of Fish and Wildlife fees, and a $50 fee to the County Clerk for filing the NOD.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Estimated Project cost: Between $24,000,000.00 - $26,000,000.00. This project is funded through the CCCFPD Capital Construction fund.
BACKGROUND:
The proposed project would demolish and reconstruct an operational fire station on the same site (0.92 acres). The existing station, constructed in 1956, is outdated and unable to support the staff and equipment required for a modern fire protection agency. The new fire station would be larger than the current one. 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, each with 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, a 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-equivalent requirements, which provide 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, accessible 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.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District may not be able to proceed with this project.
ATTACHMENTS:
CEQA IS/MND/MMRP/NOD