Fairfax council approves up to $1.6 million loan from Marin County for Fire Station 21 remodel

Fairfax Town Council on Oct. 15 authorized the town manager to execute a loan agreement with Marin County not to exceed $1,600,000 to complete a remodel of Fire Station 21 and to fund temporary accommodations for firefighters during construction.

The loan decision follows a multi-month planning effort by town staff and the Ross Valley Fire Authority. Public Works Director Kristen Arnold said the project budget reflects detailed cost estimates, allowances for temporary housing and construction contingencies. “Our goal with this cost estimate was to capture all possible costs and include everything that we may need to complete this project,” Arnold said during the council presentation.

Why it matters: the station, built in 1974, was designed for two personnel and has not had major upgrades in decades. Fire Chief Dan Mahoney told the council the remodel will add a third sleeping quarter and a second bathroom to support a three-person engine company the department moved to earlier this year, allow on-site decontamination between incidents and bring the facility closer to modern firefighter health and operational standards. “This will allow firefighters to come back, decontaminate, which will also increase operational readiness,” Arnold added.

Project scope and temporary housing: Staff described two linked scopes: (1) temporary living quarters and utilities to house crews while the station is renovated; and (2) the remodel itself, which includes an additional sleeping quarter, an additional bathroom for simultaneous decontamination, modest enlargement of the kitchen and replacement of cabinets, and selective reuse of existing framing, HVAC and radio infrastructure where feasible. The staff estimate for total project costs was $1,619,660. Michael Vivret, the town’s finance director, described the loan terms offered by Marin County and how they compared to market financing. He told council the county would price the loan at about 1 percentage point over a blended agency/treasury rate (approximately 3.73%), producing a nominal rate for this loan of roughly 4.73% over five years.

Cost control efforts: Staff said they have pursued multiple cost-saving ideas including reusing half the HVAC system, leaving portions of existing framing in place, partitioning part of the garage for use during construction rather than building a temporary garage, and evaluating whether the town’s community center could serve as temporary crew quarters rather than renting a trailer. Arnold said using the community center could save “between $100,000 and $200,000” compared with the trailer and associated utility work, though she cautioned the number was subject to further analysis.

Council debate: Councilmembers asked about alternatives, the potential to borrow from nearby agencies and the availability of ladder trucks in Ross Valley. Councilmember Barbara Kohler and Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman made the motion and second to adopt the loan resolution; the motion carried 4–1 (Councilmember Edgar registered the lone no vote on the motion). The motion authorized the town manager to sign the loan agreement and begin work on the temporary site preparations and the remodel design.

Public comment: Residents, including representatives of neighboring fire districts and volunteer groups, spoke in favor of completing needed upgrades. Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District board member Tom Fint told the council Sleepy Hollow had previously offered financing but had committed similar funds elsewhere since that offer; he encouraged Fairfax to proceed and said Sleepy Hollow would continue to be a partner if opportunities arise.

Next steps and repayment: With the loan authorization in hand, staff said the county would make funds available in time to begin site preparation this fall and construction in spring 2026. Vivret said the county repayment structure is similar to a mortgage-style amortization over five years; there is no prepayment penalty in the proposed agreement, and the town may consider refinancing or early repayment if more favorable terms become available.

What the resolution authorizes: it allows the town manager to sign a loan agreement with Marin County for up to $1,600,000 to fund the Fire Station 21 remodel and associated temporary accommodations, and to take related administrative steps to implement the project. The council also directed staff to continue refining cost-savings for the temporary housing option and to return to the council if material changes to the plan or budget were required.

Ending: Staff said they will return to council with any contract awards or changes to the funding approach, and that they will begin outreach to neighbors as the site plan and construction schedule are finalized.