New Sunridge station on track to open in February to open in February 2008

Staff Reports

A new fire station located on Sunridge Drive in north Douglas County is on track to open in February.

The 10,683-square-foot Station 12 will cost about $2.282 million to build and has already been paid for with the help of a 1-cent three-year tax, which has already been retired.

East Fork Fire & Paramedic Districts Chief Tod Carlini said the district has been putting money aside for the past seven years to pay for the construction of the station.

"With the exception of Station 14 on County Road, the districts have always followed a save and pay practice of funding the construction and remodeling of its stations," Carlini said. "As long as we are able to keep pace with area growth, we will continue this practice as it is the most responsible way to develop infrastructure for the districts."

The new station was originally 7 percent under budget, utility connection fees and construction not withstanding.

"We implemented a value engineering concept with this project," Carlini said. "Using a brick and concrete block facade, the majority of the apparatus area is simply a prefabricated steel building, which saved thousands of dollars as compared to conventional construction. You really wouldn't know that unless you looked at the facility from the back."

The new station is located on a 3.25-acre site off North Sunridge Drive obtained from the Bureau of Land Management for $25, according to Carlini.

The station will house both firefighters and paramedics as well as a library kiosk and a community meeting room.

Carlini said it will serve as a regional firefighting center.