Fire chief asks council to approve purchase of former auto dealership for apparatus and training

Fire Chief Ryan O’Hearn presented a proposal for the Fire Department to acquire a former auto dealership that city staff say would provide more than 10,000 square feet of climate-controlled apparatus and equipment storage and a sizable showroom that could be converted into a larger classroom.

Chief O’Hearn said the purchase price is listed at $710,000 and that the department has a purchase agreement contingent on council approval and a satisfactory due-diligence period: “We have a purchase agreement right now... that is contingent upon your approval and a satisfactory due diligence period,” he said. Staff contracted a Phase I environmental site assessment that identified a former underground storage tank that was remediated in 1998; the assessment noted a recognized environmental condition that may warrant additional testing but reported no history of hazardous spills.

Council members asked whether moving vehicles into the facility could happen quickly and whether the building would meet long-term needs. Chief O’Hearn said the facility would improve protection and availability of specialized equipment—particularly hazardous-materials response assets now stored outdoors—and that he expects the building to meet apparatus and storage needs for roughly 20 years. He estimated classroom renovation costs in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars and said existing fire capital and incoming deployment revenue could fund the purchase and some improvements.

No final council vote was taken at the briefing; staff indicated they would present an authorizing request for purchase at the next council meeting pending due-diligence review.

Ending: Chief O’Hearn will bring a purchase request to the council at an upcoming meeting after completing due diligence; councilors signaled general support for the purchase’s potential to consolidate and protect department assets.