Alpine council backs exploring restoration of fire department burn house at wastewater plant

Alpine council members on Thursday endorsed moving forward with plans to restore a burn house on city property near the wastewater treatment plant for use by the Alpine Volunteer Fire Department, while asking staff to clarify property access and safety needs. Fire Chief James Etcheson and volunteer supporters described the structure as a block building with a collapsed roof and debris inside; Etcheson said removal of the remaining roof and cleanup are the main safety items before training can resume. “We have to go in there and take the remaining roof off of it,” he said, and added that the walls are cinder block and structurally sound. Why this matters: A dedicated burn house provides interior-fire training and repeated realistic practice for volunteer crews. Training proponents told council the structure was used in prior decades and could be repaired at modest cost compared with building a new facility. Details from the meeting: Etcheson said the roof would likely be replaced with metal sheeting similar to a roof the American Legion installed; he estimated the required metal roof at roughly 1,800 to 2,000 square feet and mentioned an American Legion project that cost about $20,000 as a comparable reference. Etcheson said volunteers intend to do much of the cleanup labor; the department would likely outsource the roof work. City staff cautioned that part of the access route to the structure crosses property subject to an existing contract (“O6 ranch” access noted in staff remarks) and recommended confirming any property or contract constraints before starting work. Council members committed to proceed once legal/property checks are completed and asked the fire chief and staff to coordinate next steps, inspections and financing options. Speakers and roles: James Etcheson, Fire Chief, Alpine Volunteer Fire Department; Jessica Isley, Building Official, City of Alpine; Councilmembers including Rucas, Stevens, Escobedo and Portillo; volunteer proponents including former builders credited with constructing the original facility (Paul Leffler and Hugh Johnson were named in remarks). Community context and next steps: Councilmembers repeatedly said they supported moving ahead. Councilmember Stevens offered to visit the site next week and help identify potential scrap material or low-cost options for roofing materials. Staff said the department will proceed with a detailed assessment of structural and access issues and return to council with cost estimates and confirmation about property- or contract-related access before work begins. Outcome: Council gave direction to pursue restoration work pending confirmation that the access/contract issues are cleared and a more detailed estimate of costs is provided; no formal appropriation was made at the meeting.