REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: KERRI L. DONIS, Fire Chief
Fire Department
SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director
Public Works Department
BY: RANDALL W. MORRISON, PE, Assistant Director
Public Works Department, Engineering Division
SUBJECT
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Actions pertaining to the acquisition of a 7,600 square foot building on a 1.95-acre parcel located at 3315 W. Ashlan Avenue (APN: 433-391-30) to serve as a permanent facility for Fire Station 12 (Council District 1):
1. ***RESOLUTION Adopting the 36th Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution No. 2021-178 to appropriate $2,361,700 for the purchase of property located at 3315 West Ashlan Avenue, Fresno, California, and design of construction documents for permanent Fire Station 12 (Requires 5 Affirmative Votes) (Subject to Mayor’s Veto)
2. Adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption pursuant to section 15301/Class 1 (Existing Facilities) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
3. Approve a Purchase and Sale Agreement with Rajinder Singh Sungu for $1,450,000
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RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends the City Council Adopt the 36th Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution (AAR) No. 2021-178 to appropriate $2,361,700 for the purchase of property located at 3315 West Ashlan Avenue, and design of construction documents for permanent Fire Station 12; adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption pursuant to section 15301/Class 1 (Existing Facilities) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and approve the Agreement for Purchase and Sale of a 7,600 square foot building on a 1.95-acre parcel, located at 3315 West Ashlan Avenue (APN 433-391-30), owned by Rajinder Singh Sungu for $1,450,000, and authorize the Public Works Director or his designee to sign all documents necessary to complete the subject acquisition.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Fire Station 12's district emergency responses have increased beyond the capacity of the current station located at 2874 West Acacia Avenue. The Real Estate section of the Department of Public Works located a site at 3315 West Ashlan Avenue that meets the needs for a permanent location for Fire Station 12. The site is improved with a 7,600 square foot commercial building on a 1.95-acre parcel, located at 3315 West Ashlan Avenue. Upon adoption of the $2,361,700 AAR for the $1,450,000 purchase price of the property, and $911,700 for the design of a 5,400 square foot addition for apparatus and storage space, and renovations to the 7,600 square foot building, the new location for Fire Station 12 will be sufficient in size to meet the Department's current expansion needs as well as meet future demands.
Scott E. Rurik, MAI of Scott Appraisal Co., appraised the property at $1,170,000. The owner rejected the City’s offer of $1,170,000 and obtained a second appraisal for $1,450,000 prepared by BAAR Realty Advisors. An appraisal review by Lawrence D. Hopper, MAI, confirmed the owner’s appraised value and staff offered a purchase price of $1,450,000, subject to City Council approval which was accepted by the owner. A Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment was conducted by Salem Engineering Group, Inc. with no significant findings.
BACKGROUND
Constructed in 1977 and located at 2874 West Acacia near Marks and Shaw Avenues, Fire Station 12 houses a single engine company, with four personnel. This station was designed as a standard residential structure with an extra-large garage attached. The City's plan was to build a permanent fire station and sell the residential structure as a private residence. Forty-four years later, with tremendous city-wide population growth and Fire Department emergency responses steadily increasing over the years, the Department still responds with one fire engine out of that station.
With growth in the northwest portion of Fresno comes an additional workload of emergency responses. In 2020, Fire Station 12 ranked as the fourth busiest single company fire station in the City with 2,743 responses. Of those responses there were 263 emergency incidents responded to by a unit from outside Fire Station 12's district due to the unavailability of Engine 12. As a result, the responding unit may not meet the goal of a four-minute response time due to the extended travel distance to the emergency location.
The Department's goal was to locate the new station in close proximity to the current station as not to negatively affect response times within the district. The team had initially located three (3) properties which could potentially meet the needs of the City; however, after internal discussions with the owners of the properties these locations were not viable options. The team successfully located the subject property at 3315 West Ashlan Avenue.
Additional work on the property will include remodeling of the interior space of the existing building, and construction of a large span metal building to house several fire apparatus and additional space for storing turnouts, extractors, and other tools.
The City Council approved $8.6 million in concept for the new Fire Station 12 during the 2021-22 budget, but funding was not actually appropriated into the adopted budget. A balance of $462,900 in existing UGM Fire Station 12 funds needs to be appropriated for this new capital improvement project. Approximately $1.7 million in existing Citywide Fire Impact Fees will need to be utilized to fully fund the building and land acquisition in the amount of $1,450,000, and the $911,700 for Professional Engineering Services to design construction documents for a 5,400 square foot addition for apparatus and storage space, and renovations to the existing building to serve as a permanent facility for Fire Station No. 12.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
Staff has determined that this project is categorically exempt from the requirements of CEQA pursuant to Section 15301/Class 1 as the project consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. The proposed square foot addition is less than 10,000 square feet and the subject property is served by the necessary public utilities to allow for maximum development permissible in the General Plan. Further, the area in which the project is located is not environmentally sensitive. None of the exceptions to Categorical Exemptions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines, Section 15300.2 apply to the project.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference does not apply because the acquisition of the subject real property does not include a bid or award of construction or services contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
The acquisition for Fire Station 12 is in Council District 1. There will be no impact to the City’s General Fund upon approval of the 36th Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution No. 2021-178 appropriating $2,361,700 for the $1,450,000 acquisition and $911,700 for Professional Engineering Design Services.
Attachments:
36th Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution No. 2021-178
Environmental Assessment No. P21-04428
Agreement for Purchase and Sale
Grant Deed
Vicinity Map
Location Map