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TRANSCRIPT
AGENDA
• Brief History
• Report process to date on Fire Station #8
– Board direction
– Meetings held
• Feedback from the Community
– Questions on validity of criteria for site selection
– Staff response
• Review of 20 sites considered
– Elimination of sites from further consideration
– Comparison of 5 short-list candidates
– Rebuilding Fire Station #8 at current location
• Task Force Discussion2
Brief History
• First Study Conducted in 1999 by Gordon
Routley
• 2000 Study by TriData Reviewed Routley and
made additional recommendations
• 2012 Tri-Data study initiated to look at how
changes to demographics and development
effected demand
• Summary of conclusions from study: several
areas of County need better response time –
northern part of County most affected
3
Brief History
• Property purchases at 26th and Old Dominion– 4714 26th Street, North (2007 -- $2,388,750)
– 4722 26th Street, North (1992 -- $1,040,000)
– Salt dome site purchased 1927/1935
– Mulch pile site purchased 1959/1960
• Statement in 2012 CIP– “Fire Stations No. 4, 7 and 8 indicate a need for replacement and
possible relocation to meet current standards, including four
apparatus bays…Fire Station #8 (the current location at 4845
Lee Highway does not provide desired response times to some
northern reaches of the County)…Each station will occupy 1.75
to 2.0 acres…”
4
Brief History
• Proposal in 2014 CIP– “Planning for the [North Side Salt Facility] will also establish a
designated area for the potential future relocation of Fire Station
8 from its outdated facility on Lee Highway.”
• Adopted 2014 CIP– “Relocation of Fire Station 8 is a priority project that is driven by
the results of the coverage/response time study completed in
2012.”
• Why the focus on Station 8?– Combination of physical condition and service area gap
5
Direction from the Board
• Replace aged and undersized FS #8
• Site Criteria described at June 25 meeting by
Chair Hynes1. Improve response times to N. Arlington
2. Compatible with current network
3. Site minimum size .8 acre,1.5 includes buffer; County-
owned or willing seller
4. Access to arterial street
• If possible, accomplish both goals (new
station/improved response) with a single site
6
Process to Date
• Community Leaders Meeting
June 1
– Introduce proposed process
• Community Meetings 1 & 2
June 25, July 9 at St Mary’s Church
– Basis and criteria for relocating FS # 8
– Table sessions – identify issues, candidate
sites
9
Process to Date
• Community Meeting 3
July 30, at Langston Brown CC
– First review of site matrix
– Extended opportunity for community comment
• Community Meeting 4
September 17, at Yorktown HS
– Revisions to matrix and presentation of sites
warranting further consideration
– Staff presented option that best met criteria, to
be recommended to County Manager10
Questions on Criteria
Criterion #1:
Improve response times north of Lee Highway
• Questions:– Why not other efforts
first (e.g., turn-out times)
– Why prioritize FS #8? (not the worst)
– No one is complaining – what is the problem?
Answers to these and other questions can be found here(http://projects.arlingtonva.us/2015/07/fire-station-8-future-location-questions-and-answers/)
11
Questions on Criteria
Criterion #2:
Network compatibility
• Questions:– Why not move FS #3
when you had the chance?
– Why move FS #8 farther away from population density (farther from FS #2)?
Answers to these and other questions can be found here(http://projects.arlingtonva.us/2015/07/fire-station-8-future-location-questions-and-answers/)
12
Questions on Criteria
Criterion #3:
Site size of 1.5 acres, preferably County-owned
• Questions:– Why so big? (FS #3
on .5 acres)
– Why not fewer bays?
– Why not acquire more land in current location?
– Why not renovate existing station?
Answers to these and other questions can be found here(http://projects.arlingtonva.us/2015/07/fire-station-8-future-location-questions-and-answers/) 13
Questions on Criteria
Criterion #4:
Proximity to an arterial street
• Questions:– How can Old
Dominion be workable? (too narrow)
– How can you select a site before doing a traffic study?
Answers to these and other questions can be found here(http://projects.arlingtonva.us/2015/07/fire-station-8-future-location-questions-and-answers/)
14
County Staff Response
• Robust Project website
(http://projects.arlingtonva.us/projects/
fire-station-8/)– Notes and Q & As
– All referenced studies
– Raw data
– Extensive Maps
• Additional analysis from Tri-Data
15
Key Takeaway from Community Meetings
Many meeting attendees would de-
couple two goals for this project:
1. Where can/should we best replace
the Fire Station #8 building?
2. How can/should we close the
response-time gap to the north?
16
Identification of Candidate Sites
• At Meetings 1 and 2, community
members offered sites for
consideration
• 20 candidate sites identified– 14 did not improve response time or maintain
network compatibility
– 5 met response time/network compatibility,
varying issues on size and availability
– Fire Station #8: does not improve response
time, existing site undersized17
19
Six Sites in Northern Portion of County:
Fail to meet Criterion 2 - they increase demand for
Stations 2 and 3, therefore disrupting network compatibility
1. VDOT Site 1 West
2. VDOT Site 2 East
3. Madison Community Center
4. Gulf Branch Nature Center
5. Gulf Run Lift Station
6. Glebe & Williamsburg
Sites Not Recommended
20
Four Sites Farther South on Military Road:
Fail to meet Criterion 1 and 2 – creates new service gaps
for response time and disrupts network compatibility
7. Washington Golf and Country Club, East Side
8. Zachary Taylor Park
9. Taylor Elementary School
10. Church of the Covenant – parking lot
Sites Not Recommended
21
Sites Not Recommended
Three Sites on Lee Highway
Fail to meet Criterion 1 – no significant change in response
time compared to existing FS #8 site
11. Virginia Hospital Center Sites, Lee Highway/N George
Mason
12. Wells Fargo Bank Site, Lee Highway/N Glebe
13. Federal Bakery Site
OtherFail to meet Criterion 1 - on extreme western edge of County,
with increased travel distances to N. Arlington
14. Upper Pimmit Run Park
Sites Meeting Operational Criteria
Sites for Further Study
• Five sites meeting operational criteria1. Glebe & Rock Spring (Country Club)
2. Rock Spring Park
3. Glebe & Yorktown
4. Arlington County salt dome site
5. St Mary’s Church residential properties
• Fire Station #8 and adjacent
properties
22
(RT
E. 1
20)
ROCK SPRIN
G RD.
32N
D S
T. N
.
OLD
DO
MIN
ION
DR
.
23
Sites Meeting Operational Criteria
Glebe and Rock
Spring (Country
Club)• Improves response time
• Compatible with County network
• Unwilling Seller
• Meets minimum size
requirements
• Exits on major arterial street or
Blvd.
• Additional cost to County
• No Resource Protection Area
(RPA)
24
Sites Meeting Operational Criteria
Rock Spring Park• Improves response time
• Compatible with County network
• Displaces Neighborhood Park
• Meets minimum size
requirements
• Exits on major arterial street or
Blvd.
• Entire Site in RPA
N. C
OLU
MBU
S S
T.
N. E
DIS
ON S
T.
N. FLORIDA ST.
LIT
TLE
FA
LLS
RD
.
ROCK SPRING RD.
30TH
ST. N
.
N. D
INW
IDD
IE S
T.
LITT
LE F
ALL
S R
D.
SON ST.
DIN
WID
DIE
ST
.
N.
MA
SO
N D
R.
N. DICKER-
30TH ST. N.
25
YORKTOWN
BLVD.
25TH ST. N
.
25T
H R
D. N
.
26T
H S
T. N
.
OLD
RD. N.
26TH
AN
AN
ST
.N
. BU
CH
-
Sites Meeting Operational Criteria
Glebe and
Yorktown• Improves response time
• Compatible with County
network
• Displaces 3 Homes
• Owners not contacted
• Meets minimum size
requirements (.9 AC)
without buffer
• Exits on major arterial street
or Blvd.
• Additional cost to County
• No RPA
26
YORKTOWN
BLVD.
25TH ST. N
.
24TH RD. N.
25T
H R
D. N
.
26T
H S
T. N
.
OLD
DOM
INIO
N
DR.
N. B
UC
HA
N-
RD. N.
26TH
AN
AN
ST
.N
. BU
CH
-
26TH ST.N.
Sites Meeting Operational Criteria
Arlington County
Salt Dome Site• Improves response time
• Compatible with County
network
• County Owned
• Meets minimum size
requirements
• Exits on arterial street or Blvd.
• No RPA
27
Sites Meeting Operational Criteria
YORKTOWN
BLVD.
25TH ST. N
.
24TH RD. N.
25T
H R
D. N
.
26TH
ST. N
.
OLD
DO
MIN
ION
DR.
N. B
UC
HA
N-
RD. N.
26TH
AN
AN
ST
.N
. BU
CH
-
26TH ST.N.
Saint Mary’s Church
Residential Property,
plus adjacent house• Improves response time
• Compatible with County network
• Displaces at least one home
• Willing to discuss possible sale
(5 Lots)
• Status of 6th Lot Unknown
• Fails to meet minimum size
requirements (.73 AC)
• Additional cost to County
• Exits on major arterial street or
Blvd.
• No RPA
28
Fire Station #8 – Existing Site
LEE HWY.
N. D
INW
IDD
IE S
T.
22ND
RD. N.
23RD ST. N
.
22ND RD. N
.
N. C
ULP
EPER
ST.
22ND ST. N.
N. C
OLU
MBU
S S
T.
Fire Station #8 and
Adjacent Properties• Does not improve response time
• Compatible with County network
• Displaces 2 homes, 1 lot
• Willing to discuss possible sale (2
of 3 Lots)
• Meets minimum size requirements
(1.05 AC) without buffer
• Exits on major arterial street or
Blvd.
• Temporary station needed during
construction $2-3M plus land
acquisition
• No RPA
Shortlist Evaluation
29
Note: Costs reflect CY 2015 Tax Assessment
Values
SITE CRITICAL ISSUE(S) CASCADING ISSUE(S)
Glebe/Rock Springs Country Club not interested in pursuing Additional cost of at least $800,000
Rock Spring Park Displacement of County park
Entire site is located within Resource
Protection Area
Glebe/Yorktown Willingness of owners to sell is unknown
Requires acquisition of at least 3 modern
houses with aggregate assessed value of
more than $3 million
26th/Old Dominion None None
St. Mary's Plus
St. Mary's decision-making protracted;
adjacent house may not be available; site may
be too tight and require additional property Additional cost of at least $2.8 million
Fire Station #8 Plus
Two willing sellers are ready to sell now; one
owner is unwilling to sell
Additional cost of at least $3.6 million ($1.6
million for property acquisition + $2-$3 million
for temporary station)
Acting Manager’s Report
• County Manager recommended a work
session and task force
• Board should clarify what is on the table
and what is off the table
• We need to rebuild trust while respecting
operational imperatives
• Manager implemented a survey to obtain
broad community input for the charge
30
SURVEY RESULTS
Criterion #1:
• Improve the speed
of response to
more homes,
particularly in the
northern part of
Arlington
Results:
79% keep
21% don’t keep
Results reflect all respondents,
not only On-Forum responses
31
SURVEY RESULTS
Criterion #2:
• Future site should
improve ACFD’s
ability to serve the
entire County w/o
adversely affecting
service elsewhere
(relative to national
4-6 min standard)
Results:
83% keep
17% don’t keep
Results reflect all respondents,
not only On-Forum responses
32
SURVEY RESULTS
Criterion #3:
• Site size of approx
1.5 acres,
preferably County-
owned
Results:
65% keep
35% don’t keep
Results reflect all respondents,
not only On-Forum responses
33
SURVEY RESULTS
Criterion #4:
• Site must be
on/near an arterial
street
Results:
85% keep
15% don’t keep
Results reflect all respondents,
not only On-Forum responses
34
Discussion of Draft Charge
• Operational criteria should not be
the subject of the Task Force
• Community Facilities Study draft
Siting Principles and Process: “[Siting
requirements] should be determined by the
service provider and should be limited to
the most critical requirements needed to
meet delivery standards.”
35
Discussion of draft charge
• Flexibility is most appropriate on the
size of the fire station (3 bay v 4 bay)
and on the cost of the overall project
• Meetings held over the summer
reinforce that only a few sites merit
consideration
36
TASK FORCE -- DRAFT CHARGE
The Task Force will:
• Review viable sites for a replacement Fire Station 8 (currently located at Lee Highway and North
Culpepper Street). Any site selected by the Task Force must meet the following Fire Department
operational criteria:
– Effective fire/EMS response times consistent with national standards
– Location(s) that does not adversely affect response elsewhere in the County
– Location is able to accommodate a 3 or 4 bay station with drive-through access and parking
for 12 personal vehicles
– Location is in proximity to, or on an arterial street
• Work with County staff to identify
– the capital costs of any alternative that exceed the CIP estimate of $12 million and
– the on-going operating costs of any alternative above the status quo
• Recommend to the County Board, by March 15, 2016, a site based on the consensus of the Task
Force membership; if no consensus can be reached, provide two possible sites with justifications
for each
37
TASK FORCE -- PROPOSED COMPOSITION
• CHAIR (1)
• Members of affected civic associations (4)
• Neighbors of other fire stations in County (2)
• Civic Federation appointee (1)
• Member of EPAC (1)
• Member of FAAC (1)
• Member of Planning Commission (1)
38
Affected Neighborhoods:
Arlingwood Chain Bridge Forest
Rivercrest Old Glebe
Stafford/Albemarle/Glebe Gulf Branch
Bellevue Forest Country Club Hills
Rock Spring Yorktown
Donaldson Run Old Dominion
Williamsburg Leeway/Overlee
Tara/LeewayHeights John M Langston
Glebewood Waverly Hills
Waycroft/Woodlawn
The Path Forward
• What happens after March 2016?– CIP
• Inclusion of funds in CIP for new fire station
• Inclusion of funds for land acquisition and/or temporary
station, as needed
– Master Plan for 26th/Old Dominion Site
• Minimum one acre park
• Salt dome replacement and adjunct facility
• Leaf mulch pile
• Other County use
– Master Plan for current location of Fire Station #8
could parallel a future planning process following the
current Lee Highway Visioning effort
39