Agreements are being worked out to keep helipad near Lexington
Luxury homes can exist, but there are conditions
CFD goal: 50-year lease
By Gloria I. Wang
The end may be in sight for the series of conflicts that have plagued the Alma fire station and helipad since the California Department of Forestry lost its lease in April 2001.
What followed were several complications for the CDF fire station concerning lack of funding, boundary disputes and the helicopter flight path. Many of the problems, however, have now been resolved.
Fire officials are in the final stages of negotiating separate agreements, which will secure the future of the station for at least 50 more years, with Santa Clara County and Caltrans, who own the fire station site.
One of the latest problems for the station was resolved Jan. 23, when the county approved Jim Rogers' proposal to build two luxury homes on a parcel near Lexington Reservoir, directly beneath the fire helicopter's flight path.
As a condition for approval by the county, however, before moving in the homeowners will have to sign an agreement that states: "We acknowledge that we have full knowledge of existing helicopter operations by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection on the adjacent parcel. ... These helicopter operations generate noise and dust and may have other effects found to constitute an annoyance to the owners and occupants of our property."
Because of the importance of the fire station and its helipad in fighting fires in the Santa Cruz Mountains, county planners want to ensure that residential complaints will not endanger the helicopter's operations in the future.
In October, the county was to make a decision on Rogers' application. Faced with opposition and outrage from the community and Los Gatos Town Council, however, the county postponed a decision until it received legal advice on what conditions it could make. On Jan. 22, the town council reviewed the county's proposed conditions and found them satisfactory.
"We're really happy that the county can see the fire station's local importance," Los Gatos Mayor Randy Attaway said in an interview. Opposition to Rogers' proposal was fierce not only from mountain residents, who benefit from the helicopter the most, but also from the entire Los Gatos community. For the county to recognize the significance of the station and to take steps toward protecting it--"that was gratifying," Attaway said.
The county gave Rogers and the McDougal Brothers, who own the property, until Jan. 22 to accept or reject the conditions. The McDougal Brothers accepted the condition, but asked for an addition that stated the owners did not give up the right to ask the CDF helicopter to comply with existing regulations.
A second issue that is expected to be resolved shortly involves the actual 4-acre parcel where the station is located. In April 2001, the state's 50-year lease on the property was due to expire, and the state struggled to come up with the money to buy the land. Local entrepreneur Brian Hinman intervened and paid $1.6 million for the 4 acres, with the intention of leasing the site to the state for practically nothing. What Hinman wanted in exchange was to be able to use the helipad occasionally for his own use.
"At 1 dollar a year for 50 years--you can't beat that," said CDF operations chief Ferreira.
Hinman and the state are in contract negotiations, but the one complication is that, as it now stands, Hinman must pay $16,000 every year in property taxes. "He should not be paying that out of his pocket," Ferreira said. "Certainly that would be ridiculous."
Either the state will take care of $16,000 in the property taxes, Ferreira says, or the property will be reassessed at a lower amount, thus decreasing the taxes. Either way, Hinman will not be responsible for the payment.
Hinman says he expects to receive and sign the contract before the first weekend of February.
The third major complication has to do with construction logistics. CDF has decided to move the station's helipad closer to Highway 17 to avoid future problems with residents of Rogers' development. The helipad will go on the top of the hill near the freeway; however, Caltrans owns part of the hill and the state would be encroaching on Caltrans property. Ferreira says Caltrans has given the state the nod to proceed with lowering the hill, but the state will also have to deal with moving power lines.
In addition, firefighters' barracks and mess hall will have to be demolished to make way for the helipad. But the demolition was going to happen anyway because of age and poor conditions, according to Ferreira. The state will submit plans to rebuild those facilities in the near future; in the meantime, firefighters will be housed in temporary facilities or will have to commute.
"Ten years from now, 15 years from now if somebody complains, we can say we've already done our part by moving [the helipad]," Ferreira said.
A town report released in October showed the significance of the CDF helicopter: The 1985 Lexington fire destroyed 13,000 acres and 42 buildings when the helicopter was out of commission. In contrast, in the 1997 Cats fire, the helicopter was instrumental in limiting the damage to six acres and six buildings.
Los Gatos, California Since 1881
