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Fire department seeks to relocate Station 5 to Clear Bay/Highway 9; federal land and staffing loom as hurdles
Summary
Fire officials proposed relocating Fire Station 5 west from the city edge to Clear Bay and Highway 9 to improve response times; presenters said the preferred parcel is federal land requiring negotiation with the Department of the Interior and emphasized that existing staffing shortfalls (78 positions) complicate immediate occupancy.
Fire Department leaders told the council they recommend relocating Fire Station 5 from its current site near 168th and Highway 9 to a Clear Bay/Highway 9 location to expand the station’s response radius and provide quicker access to lake-area incidents. The department’s presentation noted the preferred parcel is governed by the U.S. Department of the Interior and would require a lease or purchase; Chief presenters emphasized that land negotiations with federal authorities will be needed before the city can proceed.
On the department’s urgency, staff cited the public safety study’s finding that the city faces a substantial personnel gap: "78 personnel, high priority need right now," a presenter said while reviewing the 2025 Matrix study. Officials warned that while capital funds for Station 5 are part of the existing public-safety sales tax program, the real budget challenge is funding the additional bodies to staff a new station. Council members requested an updated list of PSST capital projects and their final costs; staff said that summary will be provided to the council on Monday and that conversations with federal land managers can begin immediately to avoid losing potential sites to other buyers.
