Ross to form advisory panel on firehouse renovation

The Ross Town Council plans to create a committee to study reopening its firehouse.

The decision capped a five-hour special meeting Thursday about the fate of the building, an issue of extensive debate in the town.

“I think we’ve made some progress. I think there’s more to do,” said Councilmember Teri Dowling. “I think it would make sense for the staff to put together a working group, a small working group that would really hash through what we talked about tonight.”

“Here’s the bottom line,” said Councilmember William Kircher. “The chances of being able to find some way to pay for this, short of a new tax or somebody donating money, are vanishingly small.”

“You can always be safer. You can always do better if you pay more,” he said.

The meeting drew 75 people to the Marin Art and Garden Center. The council received a state-required report on the financial and environmental effects of a proposed citizen-led ballot initiative to reopen the fire station, which closed in June.

That procedural step set the stage for two hourlong presentations, followed by questions, rebuttals, public comments and, finally, council discussion and action — to both accept the election report and to create a committee.

First up was the Friends of Ross Firehouse, a group that backs the measure. The group’s architects and public safety consultants presented their plans to rebuild the station for $11.2 million.

The proposal would preserve the building’s Spanish-style exterior and maintain its current footprint, but gut and modernize the interior to support a round-the-clock three-person fire crew similar to other Ross Valley Fire Department stations.

“We believe this plan is credible, cost-effective,” said Stephanie DiMarco, vice president of the group. “The town has saved $12 million for this project.”

Then it was the town government’s turn. Town Manager Christa Johnson summarized the history of the issue, which began in 2021 when officials concluded the nearly century-old structure was structurally and functionally obsolete.

Staff and the council subsequently created a master plan to rebuild facilities for the police, public works and city offices, which share a campus. Part of that plan was replacing the fire station with a paramedic and ambulance facility. A fire station was excluded because officials deemed it too costly and most 911 calls are not fires but medical emergencies. Two other Ross Valley Fire Department stations are 0.6 and 1.1 miles away.

In December, Ross signed a lease with the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority to have that facility ready by 2029.

Johnson introduced town consultants to discuss two scenarios. Option one was a three-member fire crew plus two-member ambulance crew. Option two was a larger fully independent firehouse. Those options were estimated at nearly $26 million and $36 million, respectively. Option one would raise the current annual parcel tax from $1,200 to $5,400. Option two would raise it to $7,200.

“Those are hard numbers,” said consultant Stewart Gary, saying they were based on “100 line items of detail” from nearby fire and paramedic operations.

Other consultants said it was not cost-effective to renovate and said the Friends of Ross Firehouse redesign proposal underestimated costs and crammed too much into the old structure.

They also said the group was mistaken when it asserted it could withdraw from the Ross Valley Fire Department, because other regulatory bodies would block that.

During the public comment of the meeting, firehouse proponents said a station staffed with crews also trained in emergency medicine would provide faster service.

“I speak on behalf of lots of parents looking in. We really want this station back,” said Erica Bell.

“Please work with us. Renovation and rehabilitation is the only viable option,” said Laura Conrow.

“You need to have an engine here in town,” said Bruce Selfridge, a retired Ross fire captain.

Opponents said Ross, which mostly relies on property taxes from 835 parcels, can’t afford it.

“A financial tax of this magnitude will not be likely to pass,” said Mike Rosenbaum.

Daniel Winey, who ran a global architectural firm, was skeptical about remodeling.

“Yes, you could renovate it,” he said. “The cost would exceed the cost of taking it down.”

During council discussion, Councilmember Matt Salter, a proponent of rebuilding the firehouse, called the election report “extremely problematic.”

“They totally took the option of rehabilitation off 100%,” he said. “We’re just going to put all these numbers for a fire station that has to be built that they just said includes the paramedics. But that’s not what the ballot initiative is about.”

“I totally disagree with that,” said Mayor Julie McMillan. “The elections report does a great job identifying the initiative proposal. Remember, we only got FORF’s detailed information last Wednesday. I think it was New Year’s Eve.”

“It’s not addressing the rehab option because we didn’t have any specifics,” said Kircher. “Now we have new information where we have people contending it is feasible.”

“I think there’s not support in the community for the current facilities master plan,” said Mayor Pro Tempore Elizabeth Robbins. “I think it’s seen as too big, too expensive, and it doesn’t have a fire station.”

“I think the suggestion to form a committee to see what we can do with the fire station, and can it be renovated, is a good one,” she said.

The council then voted to accept the election report and form the advisory panel. Staff will present a recommendation on its scope at a future council meeting.