 |
|
|
|
|
Fire District Approves Ballot Measure For A New Fire Station
City landmark has been in same spot since 1923
SFD will need $6 million
By Steve Enders
Many city residents have known it was coming for some time, but now the Saratoga Fire District has made it official--the fate of a proposal to build a new fire station will rest in the hands of Saratoga voters.
The fire district announced on July 20 that it will place an initiative on the November ballot, after fire commissioners unanimously approved the measure at a meeting inside the 76-year-old fire house.
Also, within the next few weeks, the SFD will select a volunteer citizen's group to head up the ballot initiative by setting up mailers, phone banks and a public outreach campaign.
The fire station has been a fixture on the corner of Saratoga Avenue and Highway 9 since 1923, when it was converted from a service station and repair garage.
In addition to the obvious use of housing fire equipment and personnel, it signals the entrance to Saratoga Village and is a Saratoga landmark.
Fire Chief Ernie Kraule said that he's glad the effort to build a new fire station is moving ahead smoothly. Over the past few months, he acknowledges, he has been working on his own public information campaign about the need for a new building.
"We're encouraging people to ask questions," Kraule said. "I think when we're through, the citizens will have something they can really be proud of, and that's the bottom line."
The unnamed ballot measure needs to be approved by two-thirds of Saratoga's voters. Kraule said that it will ask for about $6 per $100,000 of assessed valuation per homeowner per year.
The SFD estimates it will need about $6 million for its new station, which will be reminiscent of of the architectural style of Julia Morgan. Morgan designed both the nearby Saratoga Foothill Club and the Federated Church.
So far, people have been asking the SFD a lot of questions. Citizens have participated in open house question and answer sessions with the chief, and more than 1,300 people have responded to various mailers asking if they support the project and would like more information.
Kraule says he gets numerous phone calls and faxes from people who have ideas for the station. Some, he said, would like to see more wood built into the structure, and others are curious about how much it will cost them.
RRM Design Group of San Luis Obispo, a leading firehouse designer, has drafted the first drawings of the new station. The design and structure could radically change after public hearings and city review.
So far, Kraule said, people have generally been supportive of the new building.
"We've gotten good feedback from citizens who say they're happy with the process," he said. "People are also happy with the design. I, personally, was relieved. That could have been a major problem."
The new firehouse will support about six fire engines, and will have about a 75-year life span.
|
|
|
|
Saratoga, California Since 1955
