Sedona Fire District continues to hold space at its monthly board meetings for Station 4 construction, but no work has begun.
For years, SFD has been in discussion about the need for a serious upgrade at its Uptown station. After the pandemic hit, construction efforts for projects all across the city came to a halt.
“We do not have a specific timeline for Station 4 due to the uncertainty in the construction industry because of the impact of the pandemic,” SFD Chief Jon Trautwein said. “Extremely high construction cost, supply chain, material shortages and potential delays have slowed down the project.”
The SFD Governing Board was made aware of these issues back in 2017. According to the district’s recommendations for capital improvements, Station 4 “has some critical safety and structural issues to address.”
After reviewing with engineers and architects, the project was estimated to cost between $4.45 million and $4.95 million to “raze and rebuild” the station. It stated in this report as well, that the station was not suitable to be remodeled.
Based on the report in 2017, as well as continued discussions in the years since the station was rebuilt, is a top priority for the district. Yet the construction has not begun.
“The need is apparent, and preliminary feasibility studies, property preparation and fiduciary preparation have begun,” Trautwein said.
Station 4 has been in the same building since early 1972 when it was originally built. Since then the current station has faced many structural issues over the years. The building does not meet International Building Code with cracks in the bay’s floor, water damage from the second floor and structural movement of load-bearing walls.
Most ironically, the station’s fire sprinkler is a mixture of commercial and residential and therefore, does not meet current fire code. A completely new building will fix these issues that this original station has had, as well as meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards and other fire station standards.
Close to 75 percent of the district’s total calls are handled by Station 1 in West Sedona and Station 3 in the Village of Oak Creek. But stations 4 and 5 handle two calls a day on average. Still, Station 4 has a large first-due call area for the entire Uptown district. The station also provides second-due call coverage to West Sedona, the Chapel area and Oak Creek Canyon.
The SFD held a public forum in October 2017 to discuss their overall renovation budgets for four of their stations. Sedona Advocates for Emergency Responders, or SAFER Sedona, along with the district advocated for a $17.9 million bond to support the projects. The meeting became controversial after SAFER Sedona accepted $17,750 from Phoenix-based construction companies that were then used for advertising, booths and T-shirts. Voters rejected the bond that would have replaced Stations 4 and 5 with a 56.1% to 43.9% vote in November 2017.
SFD will continue with its discussions of the timeline until the project is set.
