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Fire Department outlines floating Station 35 plan and Pier 26 temporary berthing
Summary
The department previewed plans to replace undersized Station 35 with a ~16,800 sq. ft. facility that can house three fireboats and rescue craft; to mitigate sea-level rise the department prefers a steel floating pier and proposes Pier 26 rehabilitation as a temporary berth. The project timeline targets occupancy by late 2020.
Assistant Deputy Chief Ken Lombardi and Public Works project manager Gabriella Judd Cirelli presented plans for a replacement of Fire Station 35 and rehabilitation of Pier 26 on Sept. 28. Lombardi said the existing Station 35 is about 6,100 square feet and lacks separate facilities for men and women; the proposed station would be roughly 16,800 square feet and accommodate three fireboats, rescue craft and related support spaces.
Officials said the design team favors a steel floating-pier solution to address sea-level-rise concerns rather than a fixed pier that would require raising the structure about seven feet above current grade. Lombardi described comparative cost estimates shown to commissioners: an estimated $6.4 million for a fixed pier and $6.3 million for a steel floating pier, with a concrete floating pier costing more. The department emphasized comfort criteria and guide-pile design to limit motion so the new facility will feel like a land-based building rather than a vessel.
Because the current dock behind Station 35 is deteriorated, the department plans to rehabilitate Pier 26 to berth three fireboats temporarily during construction; the pile-driving window for that work is Nov. 1-30, 2016. Project managers said the station design will proceed through a design-build procurement; some fabrication could occur off-site, with the barge brought into place and attached to guide piles. The presentation included examples of floating structures in other cities and noted that multiple regulatory approvals from more than a dozen agencies will be required. The department projects occupancy near the end of 2020 and invited commissioners to visit Pier 26 during the work.
Commissioners asked about movement, crew amenities, staffing interactions and environmental review. Project staff said a mitigated negative declaration is the targeted CEQA outcome and that the floating solution reduces dredging and environmental impact. Public Works noted local-hire and local business-enterprise goals will apply to construction contracts where practicable.
