To: Board of Supervisors
From: Aaron J. McAlister, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
Report Title: Temporary Fire Station 9 CEQA Determination
Recommendation: Recommendation of the County Administrator
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Acting as the governing board of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, APPROVE the Request for Proposals (RFP) process for temporary interim quarters at Buchanan Field airport supporting the Fire Station 9 Redevelopment Project and DETERMINE that the Temporary Fire Station 9 Project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Concord/Pacheco area; and
DETERMINE that the Temporary Fire Station 9 Project [Project No. PD265-2601 / WH182A] is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Article 19, Section 15303(c), (d), and (e) of the CEQA Guidelines; and
DIRECT the Public Works Director, on behalf of the Fire Chief, or designee, to cause a CEQA Notice of Exemption (NOE) 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 a $50 fee to the County Clerk for filing the NOE; and
AUTHORIZE the Public Works Director, on behalf of the Fire Chief, or designee, to advertise and issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the construction/procurement of temporary interim quarters for Fire Station 9; and
AUTHORIZE the Fire Chief, or designee, to apply for building and planning permits with the Department of Conservation and Development (DCD), and other associated permits required for the Project; and
AUTHORIZE the Fire Chief, or designee, to engage in real-property lease negotiations with the Public Works Department - Airports Division for the construction and use of Airport land needed for the Project; and
AUTHORIZE the Fire Chief, or designee, to initiate work needed to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the Project in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration guidelines; and
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.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Budgeted: 100% CCCFPD General Operating Fund. This project has been approved and will be funded through the Fire District General Fund. The only fee associated with this immediate action is a $50 filing fee paid to the County Clerk for filing the CEQA Notice of Exemption.
BACKGROUND:
The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District is advancing the Fire Station 9 Redevelopment Project [Project No. WH728B] to replace the existing 1956 facility at 209 Center Avenue with a modern 15,400-square-foot facility. To ensure continuous emergency response coverage during the estimated 17-24 month demolition and reconstruction phase, the District requires interim operations facilities.
The proposed Temporary Fire Station 9 will operate 24/7 on a paved lot at Buchanan Field Airport (200 Sally Ride Drive, Concord). The temporary facility will include:
● A 3,000-sq-ft prefabricated stressed membrane apparatus structure to store two fire engines.
● A 1,500-sq-ft prefabricated modular living quarters building for firefighter crew operations.
● A 200-sq-ft Conex storage container, security fencing, parking, and associated utility connections.
CEQA & Environmental Compliance:
District staff reviewed the project under CEQA Guidelines Section 15303 (New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures - Class 3 [c][d][e]), finding the project exempt as it involves temporary facilities under 10,000 square feet, minor utility extensions, and accessory structures in an urbanized area. Additionally, because the facility is located on airport property, compliance with Federal Aviation Administration guidelines under NEPA will be initiated.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If not approved, the District will be unable to establish interim quarters, delaying the primary Fire Station 9 Redevelopment Project or compromising emergency fire and medical response coverage for the Pacheco and surrounding service areas during construction.