Scott Valley Fire District seek new $22 million facility after current station has reached “end of its useful life”
SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. (KION-TV)- Scotts Valley Fire Protection District Board of Directors unanimously approved Resolution 2023-7 which will put the replacement for the current fire station on the November ballot.
This was decided at the July 12 board meeting. The proposed $22.2 million bond would allow for the building of a new fire station in Scotts Valley.
The current fire station at Erba Lane "does not meet essential services building and safety standards, putting the community of Scotts Valley at risk in the event of a disaster," said the Scotts Valley Fire District.
The new proposed fire station would be located on La Madrona Drive across from the Hilton. This location was purchased in 2022 by the fire district with a future new location in mind.
The Scotts Valley Fire District argues that the new location "would decrease the overlap in fire station response areas and place the station closer to the majority of the incidents in the community."
On top of that, they will have the ability to assist in disaster response by housing a crisis headquarters like during the CZU Lightning Complex of 2020, and atmospheric river events of 2022.
The old station would then be retired once the new location is completed.
The Erba Lane Fire Station was built in 1964, was the first station in Scotts Valley, and was comprised of an all-volunteer staff.
"Scotts Valley is a growing city, far exceeding the growth expected in 1964 when the Erba Lane station was built," said the Scotts Valley Fire Station.
The Scotts Valley Fire Station said due to limited funding staff had to focus on immediate emergency services for the community, Thus, leaving the station updates falling behind.
"The Erba Lane Fire Station’s structural integrity does not meet seismic standards or modern building codes. This leaves the station and staff at risk of being unavailable for emergency services in the event of a major earthquake," said the Scotts Valley Fire District.
In 2018 the Fire District conducted a facilities study and then a seismic study in 2022. Both studies concluded that the dependability of the building had reached the end of its life with the potential impacts of a natural disaster being dire on the station and the community.
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