There is no question that the existing fire training facility,
which serves all fire departments in Boulder County, is
running out of steam - or smoke, so to speak.
The Boulder Regional Fire Training Center is on Lee Hill Road
on a two-acre piece of city-annexed land surrounded by residential
zoning. The lease expires in 2013 and the "burn building" should be
extinguished, according to structural engineers. In 2005, the
engineers would only certify the building for two years.
In November of 2001, voters approved a fixed tax to fund
replacement of the existing facility with three new training
centers that would better serve the numerous and widespread
area fire departments.
An eastern facility is now under construction in Longmont and
is slated to open in June or July of 2006. A third facility proposed
to be built in Nederland would serve mountain departments.
The central and largest training center will be in Boulder and was
originally proposed to be built on the Valmont Butte. The City of
Boulder purchased the Valmont Butte property specifically for the
fire training facility and a bio-solids recycling center.
The city's website, refering to the Valmont Butte, states
"After a comprehensive public process that included
community meetings, Indian consultations, review by
five city boards, EPA assessment and a Community
and Environmental Assessment Process (CEAP),
City Council determined not to pursue a Biosolids
Recycling Center but to further evaluate a fire training facility."
At a public meeting on January 18 at Harvest Baptist
Church in Gunbarrel. Peter Pollack, Planning Director
for the City of Boulder, said that when city council recently announced it would not pursue the bio-solids center at the
Valmont Butte, its dual-use dynamic changed. Pollack said, "Staff decided to renew its search for new sites. The thinking was that some sites may have become relevant and/or available since the initial search."
City staff, council members and area fire chiefs presented another site at the public meeting, which met six major requirements for a fire training facility. Pollack said the criteria upon which sites were judged were proximity to the City of Boulder; minimum of 10 to 12 acres in size; proximity to water, gas, electric and sewer utilities; cost and availability; zoning and neighborhood compatibility.
Twenty-two sites were looked at, including 15 original sites, which were narrowed to seven feasible sites. According to Pollack, after careful scrutinizing, two sites were found most suitable: the Valmont Butte site and a site at the Boulder Reservoir, called the Wells site.
According to Pollack and Frank Young, deputy fire chief for the City of Boulder, many potential sites were dropped from consideration because of the lack of potable water. "Water was the major limiting factor when we looked at most of the other sites," said Young as he explained why the Wells site was more attractive than many others.
The Wells site is preferable also because it is city-utility-owned property, which could be purchased back from utilities shareholders (taxpayers). The Valmont site has tribal/cultural issues and the Wells site does not. A CEAP would not be required for the Wells site. However, it would need site and use reviews.
Pollack said that both Valmont and Wells have wildlife and wetlands issues, which could be mitigated. "There is not a site out there without prairie dogs," said Pollack. The Valmont site is more hidden from view but closer to streets and businesses.
"The Wells site is visible from Gunbarrel. While it's more open to view, it's further away," said Pollack. Costs for each site are similar with the caveat that the city would have to sell the Valmont site for close to the purchase price.
A City Council hearing to review possibilities for the Boulder Regional Fire Training Center is scheduled for February 21 at 6 p.m. It is expected that City Council will vote on it that night after a presentation and public input.
The four options that the planning staff will present are to keep the existing training facility on Lee Hill Road, to have Boulder fire departments use another existing training facility, to develop a plan for a training facility on Valmont Butte and to develop a plan for a training facility at the Wells site.
