Los Gatos Weekly-Times

New Arlie land deal could endanger Alma Fire Station

By Jeff Kearns

CDF's Alma Fire Station, which played a crucial role in containing last summer's Cats fire, may be facing an uncertain future, after a recent land sale has apparently signaled an end to negotiations between the state and an out-of-state landowner which bought a large part of the Lexington Basin last year.

Oregon-based Arlie Land and Cattle, which was leasing the five-acre parcel between Lexington Reservoir and Old Santa Cruz Highway to the state for use as a fire station, transferred ownership of the property to Frontier Land and Development of Eugene, Ore.

The deed of sale was recorded with Santa Clara County on June 30.

Frontier is a limited liability corporation organized in May 1996, according to the Oregon Secretary of State's office. The two members of the partnership listed with the state did not return phone calls before press time. Calls to Frontier's office were answered by a voice mail system for Frontier Technology.

The negotiator handling the deal for the state Office of General Services was on vacation. CDF officials were surprised to learn that the land had been sold. The station currently provides a base for a water-bombing helicopter, a fire truck, and living quarters for up to 20 firefighters during fire season.

Chief Steve Woodill of the Santa Clara County Ranger Unit, which covers over 1.6 million acres of land in five counties, said he assumed that the state would just start negotiating again with the new owner. State negotiators were unable to agree on a price for the land with Arlie.

"If there's been a change of ownership, that doesn't change our position on wanting to maintain that location for the helitech base," Woodill said, adding the state can still acquire the land by starting condemnation proceedings under eminent domain laws.

Fred Lambert, who manages all of CDF's hundreds of properties in the state, was also caught unaware of the transfer. "I don't know why they'd do that when we have a pending deal. I don't know what they're up to," he said. "We want to provide a station there like we have been for years."

Joanna Yates, a 30-year resident in the Lexington area, says the station is crucial to her and others who live in the mountains. "They're close enough to the mountains that they can catch a fire before it becomes a major forest fire," she said. "It seems there's every reason for keeping the station there."

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