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Groundbreaking, Finally? Maybe... Groundbreaking ceremonies for Palmdale's 2 new fire stations was scheduled for June 20th, but has been postponed for some reason. More details to follow. It has been a long and difficult road, politically and economically, to bring these important public safety facilities to the city, and I am very proud that I played a key role in their finally moving forward. But suffice to say, with as many years as bureaucratic snafus have delayd these stations, and as much hard work as I have put into them, another delay is not unexpected, but in the big scheme of things, is not unexpected. 2 New Palmdale Fire Stations Begin Construction This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on
Wednesday, May 16, 2007. PALMDALE - Construction of a new fire station near Rancho Vista golf course will begin this summer after the county supervisors awarded a construction contract to a Chatsworth-based firm. Fire Station 136, which will be at 3650 Bolz Ranch Road, is scheduled for completion in July 2008. Construction likely will begin the first week of June, said Gary Boze, a Department of Public Works spokesman. The supervisors approved a $9.73 million budget for the project, including $6.1 million for main construction by Novus Construction company. The 10,821-square-foot facility will be able to hold the headquarters of a fire battalion but wonÕt actually be a headquarters until several other fire stations in south and west Palmdale are built, said Assistant Fire Chief Mark Bennett. Bennett said stations 136 and 93, a planned fire station on 55th Street West and Avenue R, will be built to house battalion headquarters in anticipation of continued growth in Palmdale. ÒWeÕre trying to build for the future so we have a place for the battalion chiefs when we split into new battalions,Ó he said, adding that such a split could be years down the line. For now, stations 136 and 93 will be in Fire Battalion 17, which includes seven stations in Palmdale, Pearblossom, Littlerock, Lake Los Angeles, Acton and Agua Dulce. Two New Fire Stations Construction Approved by County In early 2007, LA County Board of Supervisors gave final approval for construction of 2 new fire stations; 1 at Massari Park on the east side of Palmdale, and another at Rancho Vista Park on the west side. These 2 stations will substantially reduce response times on both sides of town, as well as reducing workload for crews at tradionally the busiest stations in the County. Orignally proposed and the sites approved several years ago, approval has was stalled while County officials held out for more money from City officials for their stations. I made it a priority, meeting regularly with fire, county and city staff until the issues were successfully resolved and mutal agreement to proceed was reached. Groundbreaking should occur soon, in Spring of 2007, with construction taking about a year. Projected opening is slated for early 2008. There's been some confusion in the past as to who is responsible for these stations. The County. Specifically, the LA County Consolidated Fire Protection District, which is governed by the LA County Board of Supervisors. These stations and property are County property, the construction, plan approval and contracts are controlled by the county, the trucks are county trucks, the firefighters and staff are county employees. You pay for it each year, in some cases, several times!
This isn't a complaint, just a clarification and factual representation of the significant anount of funds allocated to these capital projects by the City and its residents above and beyond the voted indebtedness that is supposed to cover these operations. Check back here for further updates.
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