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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Monday, January 5, 2009 Everett buys land from Kimberly-Clark for a new fire station By David Chircop Herald Writer EVERETT -- A new fire station could soon sprout from a ­Kimberly-Clark parking lot across the street from the company's waterfront tissue mill. The planned fire station would replace one that used to be on the Everett waterfront, which was torn down by the Port of Everett two years ago to make room for a condo project that never materialized. The new location on the northeast corner of W. Marine View Drive and 26th Street is viewed by city officials as a prime spot that can serve the long-range fire response needs of both the waterfront and the downtown core. Both districts are expected to squeeze in thousands of new residents in the coming decades under the city's growth plan. "It's going to allow us to separate our resources and to place them strategically throughout the city," Everett Fire Chief Murray Gordon said. Construction crews could break ground on the project by summer with completion within two years. The city is now shopping for an architect to design the building. The planned location for the new Fire Station No. 3 is better than the old station's waterfront site because firefighters will be closer to and have better access to downtown Everett, which receives considerably more calls for service than the marina. The Everett City Council on Wednesday voted to buy the 92-space parking lot for $870,000, plus closing costs. Under the agreement, the city is required to replace the lost parking spaces at its own expense. The city plans to replace most of the spaces by building a parking lot on city land beneath a stretch of W. Marine View Drive that passes over railroad tracks. The remaining parking spaces will be created near the new fire station or another location that both parties agree to. Building the new parking lot is expected to push the purchase agreement to more than $1.1 million. The sales price was based on an appraisal done for the city in the summer of 2007, said Mike Palacios, the city's property manager. Under the city's plan, the ­Kimberly-Clark parking lot, which now sits above W. Marine View Drive, will be excavated so that it is level with the busy truck route that passes the tissue mill, Naval Station Everett and the Everett Marina. City officials said it is too early to give cost estimates for the new station. A slightly larger fire station on the southeast corner of Madison Street at Colby Avenue opened in 2003 with a price tag of $3.2 million, Everett spokeswoman Kate Reardon said. Unlike the new station, the city already owned most of the land at the Madison Street station. Still, Readon said, a competitive bidding environment will likely translate into the city getting the fire station built for a reasonable price. During the housing boom, many contractors had so much work it was difficult in some cases to even find qualified contractors willing to take on anything less than the most lucrative government construction projects. "If you have the ability to build something right now, it's a good time to do it," Reardon said. Since the old waterfront fire station was demolished in 2006, its fire engine company has temporarily been assigned to a different fire station more than two miles away on Rucker Avenue at 36th Street. "The station wasn't build for that capacity," said Bob Downey, the president of the Everett firefighters union. "There's not enough room in that station, so things are really, really tight." More importantly, he said, the concentration of fire equipment and personnel makes it more difficult to respond to emergencies on the city's large marina, where more than 100 people live on boats. "Having all our eggs in one basket isn't optimal," Downey said. Reporter David Chircop: 425-339-3429 or dchircop@heraldnet.com. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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