Fire Commissioners vote for bond for new station

By Kara Chalmers

Saratoga Fire District Commissioners, with the support of the district's union firefighters, voted Jan. 6 to place a $6 million bond measure on the April 11 ballot to pay for a new fire station.

If passed by two-thirds of Saratoga voters, the bond will cost taxpayers less than $6 annually per $100,000 in assessed property value over 30 years, according to SFD Chief Ernie Kraule.

Plans for a new station were delayed in August, when SFD union firefighters opposed the November 1999 bond measure for which the commissioners had voted. Firefighters said then that they could not support a new station until a study had been done to evaluate the district's fire and medical services. They also believe that if the SFD contracts with the Santa Clara County Fire Department, the level of services for Saratogans and for the firefighters themselves will increase. The consultant's report may suggest that the SFD do just that.

Plans for the study are proceeding smoothly. Commissioners, Chief Kraule, union firefighters and county fire Chief Douglas Sporleder on Jan. 6 unanimously chose consultant DMG Maximus of Irvine, Calif., to prepare the study.

By law, bond money would be spent only on replacing the more than 70-year-old seismically unstable station at its current location at the corner of Saratoga Avenue and Saratoga-Los Gatos Road. According to Fire Commissioner Robert Egan, a task force of citizens will ensure that the bond money is spent properly, on time and within budget.

The SFD in May came up with a "concept design" for a new station, which has not changed since. The two-story design with a red tile roof and tan walls would be inspired by architect Julia Morgan's work. Included in the plans for the new station are additional features, such as a walk-in first-aid treatment area, a training room and a community room for public use, where the district would conduct CPR and first-aid training.

During construction, the firefighters will move into the building behind the station, which the district is buying for $1.3 million with a loan that will be paid back partly with bond money. If the bond doesn't pass, commissioners say that they could rent or sell the building. The engines and other emergency vehicles will be housed under tents during construction, Egan said.

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