Brentwood City Council to discuss rejected downtown fire station next month

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 Councilmember Tony Oerlemans declared he filed the appeal and scheduled the discussion because he felt planning commissioners weren t asking any questions and dismissed the application Oerlemans declared commissioners instead focused on details such as a lack of trees generator location and brick materials The councilmember reported he desired 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 mentioned Oerlemans I don t think it was there It was just a flat no As a Brentwood resident for over years Oerlemans declared he remembers the obsolete Fire Station which was previously used by East Contra Costa Fire Protection District in the same location where the lately rejected Fire Station was proposed Oerlemans announced firefighters used to hand out stickers to kids bringing them closer to the society rather than merely responding to emergencies Now I m not 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 noted 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 the Brentwood Planning Commission denied a design review application from the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District to construct the new -square-foot Fire Station 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 explained it also did not reflect the city s agricultural roots Commissioners also ascertained 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 would have on traffic noise and air quality Following the May vote the fire district had days to appeal the decision Fire Station 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 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 reported Oerlemans filed the appeal on May and as per Brentwood Municipal Code the matter requirements to be heard within 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 announced Gale Contra Costa County Supervisor Diane Burgis a Brentwood resident herself disclosed 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 The commissioners stated Burgis continued to ignore facts and picked the bulk baffling arguments to deny the project The largest part 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 stated 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 area safe revealed 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 In a comment Meyer expressed her appreciation for the thoughtful and diligent work of members of all city commissions I hope all members of the society will respect the critical work carried out by our Commissions whether or not you agree with a specific decision stated Meyer in a comment 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