Councilmember Tim Burgess
City Council resolves location dispute over Queen Anne fire station
Decision avoids single-family home condemnations
SEATTLE – The City Council voted unanimously this afternoon to relocate Fire Station 20 to 15th Avenue West and West Armour Street, ending a four-year location conflict. The Council authorized the purchase of two vacant parcels and two small commercial properties along the east side of 15th Avenue West.
“This new location is the best for our public safety needs. It maintains fire department response times and allows for the construction of a much larger station that will serve this area of the city for many, many years,” said Councilmember Tim Burgess.
The existing Fire Station 20, constructed 60 years ago at 3205 13th Avenue West, is one of the smallest stations in the city. In its present condition it cannot adequately accommodate modern equipment and recommended staffing levels. The Fire Facilities and Emergency Response Levy passed by voters in 2003, along with other dedicated city resources, will fund the station’s new home.
In meetings in April, September and earlier this month, the Council’s Public Safety, Human Services and Education Committee heard from neighborhood residents and reviewed site assessments and preliminary cost estimates.
Prior to these meetings, the Council and the Mayor jointly funded a local consultant group, EnviroIssues, that reported on 42 potential area sites. The group evaluated locations by criteria developed for the Levy program that included recommended station dimensions, proximity to a major arterial and projected response times. The chosen site is close to the response area’s geographic mean and is large enough to allow for a preferred drive-through configuration and a possible third bay.
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