sr-011012-3iCity of City Council Report
Sancta Monica
City Council Meeting: January 10, 2092
Agenda Item: 3 -1
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Andy Agle, Director of Housing and Economic Development
Subject: Fire Station No.1 Site Search
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize issuance of a Request for Proposals
(RFP) to exchange real property in Downtown Santa Monica for a new site to build a
replacement facility for Fire Station No. 1.
Executive Summary
The City is seeking a site for the replacement of Fire Station No. 1 (FS #1). To help
facilitate possession of a site suitable for construction of a new fire station, staff
recommends that the Council authorize the issuance of an RFP for the exchange of
City -owned real property in Downtown Santa Monica for a site suitable for a new FS #1.
Background
Fire Station No. 1 was built in 1955 and has surpassed its expected useful life span as a
"Critical Facility. A City- commissioned structural evaluation has indicated that the
existing facility is in need of seismic retrofitting, facility upgrades and building
improvements required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Additional
analysis has concluded that retrofitting the existing facility would not meet current and
future service demands for a fire station that serves Downtown and the northwestern
portion of Santa Monica. A new fire station on a larger site is necessary to support the
Fire Department's operating and service needs.
Discussion
In 2009, an interdepartmental team consisting of representatives from the Fire
Department, Public Works, Planning and Community Development, Housing and
Economic Development, and the City Manager's Office began to evaluate the needs of
FS #1. FS #1 has a service area that covers Downtown Santa Monica and extends
11
from Olympic Boulevard to the south, Ocean Avenue to the west, Adelaide Drive to the
north, and 11th Street to the east. Staff reviewed a full range of options, including
rebuilding the existing station at its current location (1444 7th Street), acquiring adjacent
land to expand the station footprint, and building a new station elsewhere in the District.
In the course of this investigation, many of the options were eliminated due to adverse
impacts on emergency response times, overall operational inefficiencies, and functional
infeasibility.
In 2010, the Fire Department refined its criteria, focusing the site search on the area
bounded by Santa Monica Boulevard to the south, Washington Avenue to the north, 5th
Court to the west, and 7th Court to the east. It was determined that the new fire station
would require a site of at least 22,500 square feet with 150 feet of street frontage.
This size would enable the Fire Department to keep a minimum of five apparatus bays
on site, the minimum requirement for fifty -year growth
Staff has explored available properties in the area. However, the search has proved
fruitless to this point. Staff believes that property owners in the area may consider
exchanging property that is suitable for Fire Station No. 1 for other City -owned property.
In particular, staff recommends that the City -owned properties at 1338 — 1344 5th Street
and 1323 5th Street (total of 22,500 square feet) be offered in exchange for at least
three contiguous parcels (minimum of 22,500 square feet) in the desired area. Although
there are several properties within the targeted area that may be suitable, none of them
is currently for sale and all are in various stages of development. Therefore, time is of
the essence to identify a suitable site and complete the real estate transaction.
Next Steps
® With Council approval, staff would issue an RFP for the property exchange.-
® Following receipt of responsive proposals, staff would obtain appraisals to value
the sites.
® Staff would return to Council with recommendations.
2
Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
There are no costs associated with the issuance of an RFP. Funds will be needed to
appraise the properties and conduct other due - diligence efforts. The estimated cost of
the appraisals is $10,000. Funds are available for these services in Account No.
012681.555060.
Prepared by: Jennifer Taylor, Economic Development Administrator
Approved:
Andy Agle, Director
Housing and Econo
Attachments:
Forwarded to Council:
�^a1
Rod Gould
City Manager
Attachment A: Study area for new Fire Station No. 1
Attachment B: City -owned properties to be considered for exchange
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