San Clemente : Council Favors Building 1 New Fire Station, Not 2, for North

The idea of building one new fire station for the northern sections of the city, instead of two, has been adopted by the City Council.

Three years ago, fire officials recommended that two permanent stations be built to meet the needs of the area’s growing population.

But automatic aid agreements, since signed, between the county Fire Department and the city now make one station necessary, interim fire chief Gary Carmichael said.

Under the agreement with the county, firefighters from the county’s Capistrano Beach Fire Station will respond to calls in the northern part of the city.

Building one station instead of two is expected to save about $1 million on land, construction and equipment, and $250,000 annually on salaries, Carmichael said.

The new site will be 670 Camino de Los Mares, about 300 feet from a temporary city fire station that is on property leased from San Diego Gas & Electric Co. For the permanent station, the council has agreed to buy a 20,000-square-foot plot from the utility company for $250,000.

Construction is scheduled to begin in April, and to take nine months, Battalion Chief Bill Bundy said. The station will serve the areas north of Avenida Pico, and the Estrella development area.

Fire response times from the station will be within the city’s five-minute standards for all of the proposed construction areas, except for the easternmost portion of Estrella property, which will be served by a fire station in the Rancho San Clemente-Pico region, Carmichael said.