In late 2015, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (District) initiated the process for the design of a replacement facility for Fire Station 70 in San Pablo, currently located at 13928 San Pablo Avenue. The current station is comprised of modular buildings installed in 1992 subsequent to the permanent station facility being abandoned due to damage sustained from the Loma Prieta earthquake. The current station was designed for a crew of three personnel and is now housing a crew of five personnel with the addition of Squad 70. In early discussions with the City of San Pablo, an alternate site at 1800 23rd Street was made available to relocate the station.
As described more fully in the project’s initial study of environmental significance, the Fire Station 70 project at 1800 23rd Street will be a two-story, 13,775-square-foot building consisting of three apparatus bays, office, space, dormitories, and site improvements. The new Fire Station 70 will be built to house two full three-person crews for potential expansion of services in the future and will include modern seismic standards as well as being able to meet ADA requirements. The station will be built to provide protection for the community over the next fifty years and will allow for the facility to provide personnel with the components, systems, and features found in a modern fire station.
The Fire Station 70 Project is exempt from CEQA as infill development. As described more fully in the initial study of environmental significance, the project meets the five criteria for exemption set forth in CEQA Guidelines section 15332 (infill development):
(1) The project is consistent with the applicable general plan designation and all applicable general plan policies as well as with applicable zoning designation and regulations. The project site has a San Pablo General Plan land use designation of Commercial Mixed Use and is located in a Pedestrian Priority Zone. The project is consistent with the general plan and zoning designations for the site.
(2) The proposed development occurs within city limits on a project site of no more than five acres substantially surrounded by urban uses. The project site is 25,000 square feet, located within San Pablo city limits, and is surrounded by a mix of urban uses.
(3) The project site has no value as habitat for endangered, rare or threatened species. The project site is currently vacant and devoid of any riparian areas, wetlands, or areas designated as waters of the United States.
(4) Approval of the project would not result in any significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality. The County conducted construction and operational analyses and prepared supporting technical studies that confirm there will be no significant impacts to traffic, air quality, and noise.
(5) The site can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services. The project site will be served by West County Wastewater District, East Bay Municipal Utilities District, Pacific Gas and Electric, and Richmond Sanitary Service.
Loving Campos Associates Architects, Inc. (LCA) was hired as the architect for the project. Preliminary site plans have been completed and construction drawings are in progress. The next step will be for the District, in collaboration with the Public Works Department, to submit initial plans to the City of San Pablo for design review by the City of San Pablo Planning Commission. It is anticipated this will occur in September or October 2017. Once design review by the City is completed, District staff anticipates going out to bid with a fully approved set of construction drawings in early 2018.
Without the CEQA finding of exemption approved by the Board, the City of San Pablo will not conduct its design review process.