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Costs and standards at the center of Goochland debate over Station 8 and Station 7
Summary
Supervisors clashed with staff and the fire chief over whether the county is —overbuilding— new stations, with staff noting $12 million allocated for Station 8 while the fire chief estimated industry-standard design could come in lower or higher pending bids.
Board members pressed staff and Fire Chief Ferguson about budget assumptions for new fire stations after seeing the project total that staff said sits in a pot for Station 8. Chief Ferguson told the board "capital projects are coming in 25% over what you're planning for," and explained that industry changes (individual bunking, higher live‑in space, training and mechanical systems) have increased square footage and cost compared with older stations.
Staff said Station 8 design is roughly 70% complete and described the design as a three-bay, 16,000‑square‑foot facility to meet the 2035 comprehensive plan standard. The county's current allocation for Station 8 was described by staff as about $12,000,000 on paper; some supervisors said they had expected a lower figure and asked for clearer accounting of past transfers and additions.
Supervisors asked how the county could avoid repeatedly underestimating costs and asked staff to bring pricing after market bids become available. "I'm blown away... with the stroke of a pen, someone that's not sitting on this board says we're building a $12,000,000 fire station, and that's a problem to me," one supervisor said, pushing for transparency and a planned review of the design and procurement documents. Chief Ferguson urged taking a long view and building to standards that will serve the county for decades, noting reserve fleets and a 54% increase in call volume in five years as drivers for bigger stations and more apparatus.
Staff proposed moving Station 8 documents to market on Nov. 1 to learn prevailing prices by year end and then return to the board with bid results and procurement recommendations for both Station 8 and the next station so the board can make a funding decision with accurate market pricing.
Next steps: staff to finalize construction documents, issue procurement for Station 8 design/construction by the targeted November date, report bid results and present options for Station 7 funding and design once market prices are known.
