By Kendall Watson
With the City of Issaquah Development Commission last week approving plans for a new fire station to serve the northwest section of Issaquah, the path has been smoothed for construction to begin soon, city officials have said.
Developers had expected to unofficially break ground at the site a few days after the development commission’s Sept. 16 meeting, “pre-loading” the site with earth to compress the soil and prepare the lot for foundation work.
But at the time of The Reporter’s deadline on Wednesday, there was no visible construction activity taking place.
Bids for construction of the building, budgeted at around $8 million, are expected by the end of the year, and construction is expected to begin by next spring.
Eastside Fire & Rescue expects to have the station operational by late 2010 or early 2011.
Commissioners unanimously approved the Eastside Fire & Rescue’s plans to rebuild Fire Station 72 and issued a Site Development Permit (SDP) and an Administrative Adjustments of Standards for Setbacks and Parking, allowing preparations for the facility’s construction to begin.
“The commissioners had lots of good things to say about the design,” said ESF Deputy Chief Wesley Collins. “I think we have a very nice station designed and it will be a nice addition to the nothwest quadrant of Issaquah.”
First identified as a need in the mid-1980s, the northwest section of Issaquah is currently served by a small station — located at 1770 Maple Street. That station was only ever intended to last five to ten years until a more suitable site could be found.
After civic leaders settled on land near the northeast corner of the new Issaquah Transit Center at 1575 N.W. Maple Street, plans got a big boost thanks to a $4.5 million bond issue authorized by voters in November of 2008.
Plans for the 11,400 square-foot station include 6,900 square feet of living and office area and enough room to house three fire trucks.
City project manager Brad Liljequist said at 35 feet tall, the building would be one of the tallest structures built by the city in several years.
He said serious efforts would be made to incorporate sustainable and green building practices in the construction.
“City sees it as opportunity to provide green building while providing solid facility,” he said. “We’re doing very pragmatic things to keep it healthy.”
TCA Architecture Planning representative Brian Harris reviewed stormwater runoff and pedestrian concerns of the proposed building at the development commission hearing.
Deputy Chief Collins said the hearing gave the Development Commission an opportunity to review plan compliance of city regulations and zoning requirements.
“A fire station is a little bit of a different animal,” he said.
The new station will be manned by a minimum of three firefighters at all times and serving the emergency needs of the northwest quadrant of the city. The building could potentially house as many as six firefighters, if needed.
