San Mateo seeks new fire station: Proposal to expand, relocate facility

On Wednesday night, the Parks and Recreation Commission will receive an update on the proposal to create a new Station 25 at Borel Park — a currently vacant site the city has yet to make improvements to due to a lack of funds, according to a staff report.

The park is immediately adjacent to Borel Middle School and runs along Shafter Street between Barneson and Borel avenues. The 17,800-square-foot lot considered for the new station is about a quarter of the park, and the proposal is to create a two-story building atop 6,000 square feet, Healy said.

In envisioning how to best continue serving the community for the next 60 years, Healy said the department felt it was time to replace one of its oldest facilities.

“Of all of our stations, of the six stations, [25] is now the oldest one. It was built in 1954 and at the time, it was appropriate for the size and needs of the community,” Healy said, noting the city and population has changed. “But now, it’s undersized, it needs about $900,000 worth of seismic repairs as well as modifications to make it more gender friendly.”

The proposed revamp would provide the station with a drive-thru apparatus bay — an amenity that allows crews to avoid having to back up a fire engine, which currently causes them to block traffic along Barneson Avenue, according to the report.

Like many other stations, the proposed new facility would include sleeping quarters for firefighters, a kitchen and dining area, workout space, equipment storage and possibly a community room that could be accessed by the neighborhood, according to the report.

Improvements to the park might also coincide with creating a new station, according to the report.

Residents may have some concerns with the proposal, particularly with it taking over a portion of Borel Park.

Neighbors have previously expressed general concerns about traffic impacts that would come along with a new development, and had hoped a neighborhood garden might blossom on the site, said Ben Toy, president of the San Mateo United Homeowners Association. Although the Borel Homeowners Association has long been disbanded, Toy said he expects some to raise concerns about the loss of the park space as well as what might become of the current station site.

With the proposal still in the preliminary stages, it’s not yet clear what the city may do with the existing fire station lot if it were to be replaced elsewhere.

“That’s the million-dollar question,” Healy said. “That’s a City Council decision to identify if they want to keep the property.”

The initial Park and Recreation Commission study session is informational, and staff are still trying to determine the viability of developing the new station at Borel Park. Healy noted public forums as well as council study session will follow before the council makes the decision.

Healy said they began looking at possible alternate sites last year and this was the only city-owned parcel that “would allow us to maintain all of our existing response times.”

Just two blocks away, there’s easy access to El Camino Real as well as the west side of Alameda de las Pulgas, and the new site would allow it to continue serving the neighborhood, he said.

Improving and rebuilding fire stations has been made possible with Measure C, a 1998 voter-approved 2 percent hotel tax, the expenditure of which is prioritized around public safety facilities, according to the report.

“This is the next one in line,” Healy said, after citing other station improvements. “It’s served the city well for 60 years and we hope to build another facility that serves the community for the next 60 years.”

The Parks and Recreation Commission meets 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7, at City Hall, 330 W. 20th Ave. Visit cityofsanmateo.org for more information.

samantha@smdailyjournal.com

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