Dear Neighbor of Fire Station 20:
As you may know, earlier this year I sent to the Seattle City Council a proposal to rebuild and expand Fire Station 20 at its existing site on 13th Avenue West.
In the Fire and Emergency Response Levy, approved by voters in November 2003, we proposed to replace the small and aged Fire Station 20. Station 20 is in the worst condition of the 33 stations in our system. It does not meet current code requirements or the daily needs of our firefighters, and it is seismically unsound. Its age and condition render it unsuitable for remodeling or seismic upgrades to extend its useful life.
For more than a year and a half, the Seattle Fire Department and the Fleets & Facilities Department worked to find a site for a new Station 20 that would meet the Fire Department's needs while maintaining or improving response times. Using established standards, they researched and canvassed properties over the entire service area, and scrutinized additional sites at the request of community members and city councilmembers. More than 20 sites were reviewed in this process.
Because of the difficult topography in the Fire Station 20 service area and limited arterial access, we found the current location to be the only available site that preserved response time, met all other essential requirements and fit within the Fire Levy funding limitations. I then recommended to the City Council that we acquire three houses adjacent to the current site and begin building a modern station that would provide a higher level of service to the people in your neighborhood. Two of the home-owners were willing to sell, however a small number of other neighbors of the fire station opposed rebuilding at the current location. Subsequently, the City Council rejected the site by just one vote.
I cannot in good conscience recommend any other location. The Fire Chief and city staff used the right criteria to select the current site and in the event of fire, medical emergency or natural disaster, lives would be placed at greater risk by selecting another site. I regret that a sound recommendation for a critical public safety project was rejected. However, moving the station would unacceptably increase response times and compromise public safety.
Consequently, our best remaining option is to leave Fire Station 20 in place without any improvements, and to continue to provide the best service we can to your community from the existing building. As a result, fire stations in other neighborhoods will move up in priority and will be rebuilt sooner. If the greater Queen Anne community wishes to reconsider this decision, and the City Council indicates a willingness to act, a new Fire Station 20 will proceed.
This is a difficult decision, but I believe that Queen Anne, and the city as a whole, are best served by spending voter-approved funds to provide facilities that meet the community's public safety needs.
Sincerely,
Greg Nickels
Mayor of Seattle
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