Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Town Facilities Master Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Citizens group proposes single, adaptive‑reuse town center with optional fire/EMS bays and $22.7M concept cost
Summary
An eight‑member citizens advisory committee proposed a single‑building facility that reuses Ross’s historic civic buildings, adds a second floor and preserves apparatus bays; the committee’s concept estimates a $22.7 million project and recommends pursuing a general obligation bond for construction funding.
A citizens advisory committee presented a conceptual town‑center facilities master plan that would adaptively reuse the historic town buildings into a single, two‑story civic center while retaining the original fire/EMS bays in the rear and adding flexible second‑floor program space.
The committee’s presentation emphasized preserving the Spanish Colonial Revival character of the existing buildings, minimizing site disturbance by building up rather than out, and allowing future optionality for a staffed fire/EMS presence. “Our intent is that the building becomes more open to the community as a meeting place,” the committee’s presenter said, arguing the design balances historic preservation, operational needs, and environmental sensitivity.
The committee recommended the council hire an architecture/engineering firm to move schematic design forward and aim to place a bond measure before voters. Committee members said early contractor estimates support a roughly $22.7 million concept cost for the consolidated plan — about $2 million less than a previous alternative — noting the pricing reflects adaptive reuse, prevailing‑wage estimates, seismic upgrades and a full fit‑out. “We believe we can deliver this building and maintained site for $22,700,000,” the committee’s cost lead said.
Council members pressed for more detail on parking, circulation, police operational needs, geotechnical and flood‑plain constraints, and whether the proposed building could meet essential services requirements for a staffed fire operation. Committee members and presenters said these questions are why they recommended rapid schematic design and limited exploratory investigations (surveys, targeted borings, and openings to examine foundations) before final costs and commitments.
If the council advances the concept, staff said the next steps would include selecting an architect through the RFQ/RFP process, engaging an owner’s representative, undertaking schematic design and environmental review, and preparing ballot materials for a potential general obligation bond. The committee requested the Friends of the Ross Firehouse withdraw their ballot initiative if council adopts the plan by the August withdrawal deadline for ballot initiatives.
