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Council approves temporary Station 2 despite mayoral objections
Summary
After a contested debate about location, cost and response times, the council voted 4–1 to approve a temporary fire station and related emergency purchases aimed at restoring a six‑minute response goal for southeast neighborhoods.
The City Council approved placing a temporary fire station in the Wellness Way area by a 4–1 vote, overriding the mayor’s objections that the plan is a poor long‑term use of city funds.
Council members and staff presented two competing approaches for improving fire coverage: a costly permanent relocation that staff said would have produced 15‑minute response times for parts of Wellness Way, and a staged plan that places a temporary facility while a permanent station is constructed. Fire Chief David Ezell said the staff plan is designed to deliver a six‑minute lifesaving response time: “We have a plan prepared by our staff … to give every citizen in Claremont a 6‑minute response time,” he told the council.
Mayor (chair) opposed the temporary site, citing congestion near the arts and recreation site and arguing the city already owns land where a permanent Station 2 was planned. The mayor said renovating the current station in a congested neighborhood was not in the city’s best interest and continued to press for building at the previously purchased site.
Supporters on the council countered the mayor’s concerns with technical and budgetary arguments. One council member pointed to a prior plan that would have cost roughly $15 million and produce longer response times for Wellness Way residents; another stressed that doing nothing would leave response coverage inadequate while waiting years for a permanent build. The council acknowledged engineering constraints and asked staff to keep monitoring response metrics and potential traffic impacts.
Motion and vote: the council moved and seconded approval of item 3 (temporary Station 2 and associated emergency purchases). After further discussion, the motion carried 4–1, with the mayor voting no. Council directed staff to proceed with the temporary facility timetable and to continue work on the permanent station plan.
What’s next: Staff will continue coordinating utilities and emergency purchases and return with implementation details and any needed budget follow‑ups.
