To: Board of Supervisors
From: Aaron J. McAlister, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
Report Title: Fire Station 90 (Brentwood) Development Application Process
Recommendation: Recommendation of the County Administrator
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Acting as the governing body of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, RECEIVE a report from the Fire Chief and/or the County Administrator's Office on the status of the development application with the City of Brentwood and provide direction to staff in the event the Fire District is unable to obtain the required entitlements within a reasonable period.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact from receiving this report and providing direction. If the Fire District must pursue alternative locations, costs could be high and would be presented to the Board in a separate action for approval. The current cost of approximately $1.5 million has been expended on the project at this location. These costs include land acquisition, CEQA studies, architectural costs, and associated civil engineering.
BACKGROUND:
On July 1, 2022, the Contra Costa Fire Protection District (Contra Costa Fire) annexed the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (East Contra Costa Fire). At that time, Contra Costa Fire received the former District's rolling stock and real property.
East Contra Costa Fire owned five acres at Empire and Amber Lane, adjacent to Pioneer Elementary. The City of Brentwood previously owned the site and transferred it to East Contra Costa Fire. The site was intended for Fire Station 90, and Shaw Kawasaki Architects completed preliminary designs. When Contra Costa Fire advanced the plans, including obtaining required environmental reports, it identified soil contamination. Cleanup estimates were in the several-million-dollar range.
During the summer and fall of 2024, the Fire District began a search for an alternate location for Fire Station 90. Ultimately, 6685 and 6691 Lone Tree were identified as a potential site. At that location, the City of Brentwood owns a very small parcel of land. In consultation with City Staff, the concept of combining that parcel with 6685 and 6691 Lone Tree was determined to be a viable option to fit the overall project.
On November 12, 2024, the City of Brentwood addressed the possible sale of APN 019-050-234 during a closed session of the City Council. On November 13, 2024, Darin Gale, Assistant City Manager, communicated in writing to Fire District and County Staff that he had been authorized to work with Fire District staff to consummate a sale of the said parcel associated with the Fire Station Project.
On December 5, 2024, Contra Costa County, in partnership with the Fire District, closed escrow for the purchase of 6685 and 6691 Lone Tree in Brentwood with the understanding from the City of Brentwood that the City-owned parcel would eventually become part of the project.
On November 6, 2025, the Fire District held its first community meeting at the Cornerstone Fellowship in order to share the preliminary design for the fire station.
On January 13, 2026, Fire District staff presented the fire station project to the City of Brentwood City Council as an informational item in order to share the concept.
On March 31, 2026, at a duly noticed regular public meeting, the Fire District Board of Directors adopted several construction-related actions, including adoption of a Notice of Exemption (NOE) under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The NOE was filed with the State of California CEQA Clearing House on April 2, 2026, and was assigned State Clearing House No. 2026040143.
On April 9, 2026, the Fire District attempted to submit the planning and development application to the City of Brentwood. Although the City of Brentwood took possession of the application, it did not consider it complete or accept it because it involved City-owned property. Due to staff turnover at the City, the staff members involved in the preliminary ownership transfer were no longer present. This set off a new round of discussions with City about the land transfer.
On June 29, 2026, at the request of the City of Brentwood, a second neighborhood meeting was held at the Cornerstone Fellowship Church, and the revised designs were shown to the community who attended. Community feedback on the revised designs was 100% positive.
On September 8, 2026, the Brentwood City Council reported in open session, an action taken in closed session to sell APN 019-050-234 to the Fire District contingent on the Fire District receiving all the entitlements through the land development process, including approval by the Planning Commission and/or the City Council.
By September 11, 2026, the Fire District anticipates depositing $63,418.40 to process the planning development application.
NEXT STEPS
The planning application must still move through a staff review and analysis. The City retained a third-party architect to review the application for conformance with the design criteria established by the City. This includes CEQA actions that the City may need to undertake.
After staff review, staff will schedule the matter for a hearing before the Planning Commission. As the Fire District experienced with Fire Station 94 in Downtown Brentwood, the hearing could become complicated by obscure issues, such as questions about whether it is a “hotel” or whether it includes a “gym” used for firefighter fitness. Additionally, Fire Station 90 requires a use permit from the City of Brentwood. The higher-than-normal fence, as requested by the residents of Windy Springs, requires a variance. Eventually, the City Council heard Fire Station 94 and made a final decision on a 3-to-2 vote.
The original concept was to build Fire Station 90 simultaneously with Fire Station 94 (Downtown Brentwood). Due to the required relocation, substantial time has been lost, and construction costs have continued to escalate. The Fire District has made substantial investments in the Lone Tree site, including not only land acquisition but also CEQA studies, architectural costs, and associated civil engineering. Currently the District cost spent to date, beginning with the original concept, on the project totals approximately $2 million.
While the City Council's action on September 8, 2026, is a step in the right direction, it does not guarantee that we will be successful in getting the project approved. Starting over at a third location is not ideal and would impose substantial actual costs and additional time. However, should the District encounter insurmountable hurdles in obtaining the required City approvals, staff recommends that the Board direct staff to begin the process of identifying alternative locations in the event the Fire District is unable to obtain entitlements within a reasonable period of time.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
The Fire District would not have backup plans in place if the City of Brentwood fails to approve the Fire Station 90 project within a reasonable period of time.