The Lawrence City Commission on Sept. 16 approved 555 Stone Ridge Drive as the selected location for the new Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical (LDCFM) Station 6 and directed the city manager to develop a future budget proposal that includes property-tax increases to support staffing for the new station. The actions passed on consecutive 5-0 votes.

City project managers and SFS Architecture presented the results of an interdepartmental site-evaluation process and a refined space program for the expansion station. The conceptual program was reduced from an initial ~16,000 square-foot proposal to roughly 13,000 square feet by trimming some training and office spaces and changing from a three-bay to a two-bay apparatus layout while retaining the ability to accommodate a third bay through later site work if needed. The project team emphasized health-and-safety design features, including a "red/yellow/green" hazard zoning concept to physically separate apparatus and contaminated areas from living and sleeping spaces, gender-neutral restrooms and sleep‑hygiene considerations, and a sustainability focus with a LEED Gold objective.

SFS Architecture project lead Lindsay Tetro summarized the process: the team conducted benchmarking tours, hosted a visioning and programming workshop with LDCFM stakeholders, developed guiding principles, and tested multiple site fits. The preferred site is city-owned property at 555 Stone Ridge, which eliminated land-acquisition cost and reduced site-development allowances that had been carried in earlier project budgets. A test fit demonstrated the program could be placed on the property while maintaining required offsets and preserving an existing access easement for a neighboring church.

Ellie (city staff) and project manager Stephen Halstrom presented estimated operating and capital implications. Staff displayed an approximate scenario in which the city would incur an estimated $4.7 million in additional annual operating cost for Station 6 under a given staffing model; staff characterized these figures as estimates and noted the county is engaged in parallel discussions about shared funding for some positions. LDCFM representatives explained that adding an engine requires staffing across three 24-hour shifts: "If we added 3 additional employees on top of the 1 that was in option B, those would just go into our workforce to help offset overtime expenses... however, it would not be enough to staff an additional engine unless staffing was changed — the 3 additional positions, with 3 shifts, we would technically need 9," said McKenzie, LDCFM chief of staff.

Commissioners asked about site orientation, neighborhood impacts, and signal control for emergency response. The consultant said the preferred layout would place noise‑generating elements, such as the generator and apparatus bays, toward the south side of the site and the dayroom/living areas toward residential neighbors to the north; staff added the selected site preserves the neighbors' existing access route and provides visibility to the intersection for emergency egress.

Motion and vote: Commissioner Finkeldei moved to approve 555 Stone Ridge as the selected location; Commissioner Littlejohn seconded and the motion passed 5-0. The commission then unanimously directed the city manager to prepare a future budget proposal that includes property-tax increases to support staffing for Station 6 and to follow the station construction with redevelopment of Station 3.

Clarifying details: the concept program tested at 555 Stone Ridge was roughly 13,000 square feet after scope adjustments; SFS and staff targeted LEED Gold principles for sustainability; staff estimated roughly $4.7 million annually in city operating costs for Station 6 under one illustrative staffing scenario and referenced a possible 3.25-mill levy example discussed in presentations as an order-of-magnitude; LDCFM staff noted that adding a staffed engine requires nine FTEs to operate three 24-hour shifts (three people per shift). The commission asked staff to complete further design and financing work and return with detailed figures.

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