BRENTWOOD — Just days after the Brentwood Planning Commission rejected plans for a new downtown fire station, a city councilmember filed an appeal. Now, the issue is headed to the City Council for discussion.
Set to be heard on June 10, Councilmember Tony Oerlemans said he filed the appeal and scheduled the discussion because he felt planning commissioners “weren’t asking any questions” and dismissed the application.
Oerlemans said commissioners instead focused on details such as a lack of trees, generator location, and brick materials. The councilmember said he wanted to be “a little more informed and knowledgeable” about the project to make an informed decision on it.
“I felt the City Council should research it themselves and be able to make that decision. I think maybe we could ask if you (fire district) are interested in changing any of that? Could you make any modifications? Is there a reason it’s set this way, or are you guys so set that it has to be this way, then we have to deny it?” said Oerlemans. “I don’t think it was there. It was just a flat no.”
As a Brentwood resident for over 20 years, Oerlemans said he remembers the obsolete Fire Station 54, which was previously used by East Contra Costa Fire Protection District in the same location where the recently rejected Fire Station 94 was proposed.
Oerlemans said firefighters used to hand out stickers to kids, bringing them closer to the community rather than merely responding to emergencies.
“Now I’m not 100% set (the fire station) has to be downtown, but if that’s where the fire department plans on building it, and if it’s going to get delayed to move to a different location, I would prefer not to wait,” he said. “I don’t think the residents of Brentwood should have to suffer for another two or three years without an additional fire station.”
On May 6, the Brentwood Planning Commission denied a design review application from the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District to construct the new 8,137-square-foot Fire Station 94 next to Brentwood Veteran’s Memorial Hall on First Street.
In their denial, commissioners cited the building’s architectural design as lacking in resemblance to others in the area. They said it also did not reflect the city’s agricultural roots.
Commissioners also found the project fell short in meeting the adequate landscaping required under the city’s Downtown Specific Plan.
This was the second time the project came before the planning commission. In March, commissioners deferred their decision despite hours of discussion as they instructed city staff to provide details on the impact that Fire Station 94 would have on traffic, noise, and air quality.
Following the May 6 vote, the fire district had 10 days to appeal the decision.
Fire Station 94 has continuously faced objections from local military veterans and residents, who claim the site has been “historically and legally” designated for veteran-use only.
While veterans and residents did not oppose a new fire station in the city, they questioned its location. Veterans argued that Contra Costa County could not reallocate the land purchased nearly a century ago through a special tax established in 1922 to build memorial halls in the county for the use of American Legion posts and ex-servicemen.
The veterans proposed that the city should consider offering the fire district a property at Stratford Court and East Sand Creek Road to develop the new fire station instead.
Interim City Manager Darin Gale said Oerlemans filed the appeal on May 8, and as per Brentwood Municipal Code, the matter needs to be heard within 45 days.
“Any councilmember can request to pull an item for review, but it doesn’t mean that they agree or disagree with the decision of the planning commission,” said Gale.
Contra Costa County Supervisor Diane Burgis, a Brentwood resident herself, said she was “embarrassed and disappointed” by the planning commission’s “willingness to leave common sense at the door” to deny the permit for Fire Station 94.
The commissioners, said Burgis, “continued to ignore” facts and picked “the most baffling arguments” to deny the project.
“The most ridiculous moment came when a commissioner claimed that the firehouse might need to be considered as a hotel or a gym,” Burgis stated in a newsletter. “Everyone knows that firefighters sleep at a fire station and have exercise rooms on the premises because they are on call and need to remain physically fit and ready to save your life at a moment’s notice.”
Burgis said the commission wasted valuable staff time and delays will further cost taxpayers to build the “much-needed” fire station.
“But we don’t elect our planning commissioners; we elect the mayor and four city councilmembers to do the right thing and keep our community safe,” said Burgis. “Thankfully, Councilmember Tony Oerlemans has filed an appeal to put a stop to this madness.”
Burgis urged residents to write or call Mayor Susannah Meyer and other councilmembers to “tell them to stop these delays” and vote to build Fire Station 94.
In a statement, Meyer expressed her appreciation for the “thoughtful and diligent work” of members of all city commissions.
“I hope all members of the community will respect the important work carried out by our Commissions – whether or not you agree with a specific decision,” said Meyer in a statement. “Your fellow residents who sit on these commissions serve a critical function in shaping the future of our city across a wide range of issues.”
