May 13, 2015

Case Study: Fire Station #3 (Cherrydale) RelocationNancy Iacomini, Chair, Fire Station #3 Relocation Task Force

Presentation Outline

• Historical Context

• Early Relocation Efforts (1990s)

• Relocation Task Force Timeline

• Task Force Process

• Lessons Learned

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Historical Context

1919:Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Company erects its first station on Lee Hwy.

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Historical Context

1940s:County-paid

force works with volunteers;

County houses equipment in

Cherrydale Station

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Early Relocation Efforts

• 1989: County establishes Advisory Committee to the County Manager on Relocation of Fire Stations #3

• February 1990: Committee reported and listed 8 sites

• “Nichols site” next to the historic station ranked first

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Early Relocation Efforts

• November 1990: Arlington residents approve $2.5 million bond for land acquisition & design/construction of a new Fire Station #3

• 1993: County pursues acquisition of Nichols site

• May 1994: County Board votes unanimously to start the acquisition process of Nichols site.

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Early Relocation Efforts

• June 1994: County Board adopts the Cherrydale/Lee Highway Revitalization Plan.

• Includes a new Fire Station #3 on the Nichols site

• Indicates the station would be a “placemaker” for the neighborhood

• November 1994: Voters approve another bond for $2.76 million to acquire land and construct Fire Station #3

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Early Relocation Efforts

• 1999 and 2000: County Fire Department commissions a fire station location analysis from Gordon Routley firm and a similar study from TriData Corporation

• 2002: Local developer Ed Peete Co. files Site Plan application to put a mixed use condo building/townhouses and single family houses on the Nichols site

• County had been unable to purchase Nichols property• No alternative fire station location was given

• July 2002: Site Plan #360 approved for the “Bromptons at Cherrydale” development on the Nichols site

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Early Relocation Efforts

Photo Courtesy of Eric Dobson

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Relocation Task Force Timeline

• Fall, 2002: County initiates public process to find alternative site for Fire Station #3

• 3 meetings held through February 2003

• February 2003: County Board establishes Fire Station #3 Relocation Task Force

• August 2003: Task Force files its report• First choice remained the Nichols site• Second choice – Koons Toyota Dealership site• Third Choice – Brown’s Honda site (Front)

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Relocation Task Force Timeline

• August 2004: County announces fire station will be on the Koons Toyota Site but not on the Quincy Street frontage.

• County negotiates with Koons Toyota dealership for site on Old Dominion Drive – to the rear of the site.

• December 2004: County creates Design Working Group chaired by Planning Commissioner Eric Dobson and including Cherrydale residents and citizen commissioners

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Relocation Task Force Timeline

• December 2005: County approves Site Plan #396, GLUP amendment and Rezoning

• 2007: County/community hold brief discussion of reverting location to Nichols site, now called Bromptons, because of structural issues with site plan building

• July 2008: County concludes land swap deal with Toyota to site Fire Station #3 on Old Dominion

• 2008: County begins parking garage construction• County builds garage for joint use by Toyota Dealership and fire

station• Fire Station construction follows in 2009/2010

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2011: New Fire Station #3 opensPhoto Courtesy of Eric Dobson

Relocation Task Force Timeline

• Fire station design receives multiple industry awards

• Historic Cherrydale Firehouse continues in use by Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Company

Hughes Group Architects

Library of Congress

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Task Force Process

• 21 citizens appointed to 2003 Task Force:

• 16 from civic associations in first-due response area for Fire Station #3

• 2 At-Large (one a fire fighter)

• Representative from EMS council

• Representative from Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Department

• Chairman from Cherrydale

• Staff from County Manager’s Office, Fire Department, and Planning Division

Civic AssociationsCherrydale (6 reps)Maywood Old GlebeWaverly HillsWoodmontBellevue ForestChain Bridge ForestDonaldson RunDover-CrystalBallston/Virginia SquareGulf Branch

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Task Force Process

• 13 meetings (2 / month) March - August 2003

• Decisions on Criteria and Sites made by public balloting of Task Force members

• Emphasis was given on finding the best site and not considering questions of land ownership or acquisition

• Members carried back information to their civic associations/groups using list serves as well as newsletters, etc.

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Task Force Process

• Every meeting had a public comment period for citizens not on the Task Force

• Meetings held at the historic Cherrydale Fire Station and Central Library

• Meeting summaries and other information concerning the process were on the County’s website

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Task Force Process

• Criteria established collaboratively between Fire Department staff and Task Force members

• Citizens and County staff used information from 1999 Routely report and focused on need to improve response time to areas North of Lee Highway

• Routley had recommended a station within a ½ mile radius of Five Points Intersection

• Task Force concurred with ½ mile recommendations as Cherrydale Station was in this area as well

• Citizens added criteria that had to do with quality of life for surrounding uses of a station as well as impact on uses that might already be on a site

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Task Force Process

Task Force applied 17 criteria to all sites, noted in order :

1. Not in residential neighborhood/not impact residential

2. Maintain or enhance response times/not negatively impact northern Arlington

3. Large enough site to accommodate a 3 bay station

4. Do not locate on or adjacent to park land

5. Size of site6. Do not locate next to church7. Minimize interaction with Five

Points Intersection

8. Do not locate next to schools9. Utilize traffic control system10.Provide adequate space for front

ramp11.Maintain linkage with existing Fire

Station #312. ISO rating [Not Impaired]13.Road grade [issues]14.Traffic impact15.Distance from any intersection16.Sight distance17.Neighborhood buffer

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Task Force Process

• Task Force considered 17 initial sites• Site list informed by 1990 Advisory Committee work and

public forums held in 2002-03

• Brown Honda Dealership – Front (Lee Highway – sited on Lee Highway)

• Brown Honda Dealership – Front/Middle (Lee Highway/Quincy Street/Pollard Street -- sited later approximately where the current repair garage is located)

• Brown Honda Dealership – Rear (Quincy Street and North 20th Street)

• Carriage House (Quincy Street and Lee Highway – later expanded to entire block to Quebec Street in order to have enough space for a station)

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Task Force Process

• 17 initial sites, cont’d

• Cherrydale Library (22nd Street and Military Road)• Cherrydale Station Shopping Center (Pollard Street and Lee

Highway)• Coldwell Banker (Woodstock Street and Old Dominion Drive –

later expanded to include One Stop Mini-Mart in order to have enough space for a station)

• Courembis Property (Lee Highway and Taylor Street)• Exxon Gas Station (Lee Highway and Military Road)• Lebanese Taverna (Woodstock Street and Old Dominion Drive)• Lee Heights Shops (Lorcom Lane and Lee Highway)• Miles Glass (Utah Street and Lee Highway)

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Task Force Process

• 17 initial sites, cont’d

• Nichols/Bromptons (Oakland Street/Lee Highway/Pollard Street)• 7/11 (Lee Highway and North Pollard Street; later expanded to

include adjacent Progressive Cleaners and Veterany Clinic)• SPC/Old Bowling Alley (Quincy Street – site REMOVED by

close of April 14 because it was too far outside of the recommended ½ mile radius of current station #3)

• Toyota Dealership (Lee Highway and Old Dominion Drive)• Vacant House behind Horizon House (Lee Highway)

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Task Force Process

• Evaluation of Sites

• Individual sites researched by individual Task Force members (or teams of members) who then made presentations to the full Task Force

• Members assisted by staff in data collection and the production of graphics

• Task Force members developed a standard template/ questionnaire to be used in each presentation

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Task Force Process

• Portion of Evaluation Criteria Questionnaire

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Task Force Process

• Presentations on 16 sites were given in 2 meetings (Quincy Street Bowling Alley site had been removed as it was outside the ½ mile radius of the existing station)

• During presentations, 16 sites narrowed to 11 sites by unanimous consent of Task Force members

• Honda front and middle sites were combined into one site

• Balloting by Task Force at June meeting narrowed 10 potential sites to 6 sites

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Task Force Process

• Task Force charge was to recommend 3-4 sites, so research and discussion continued

• Members requested further information and held discussions on

• Traffic implications of the 6 sites• The exact placement (or as near as possible) of the station within

site• Greater specificity of response times • Financial information on businesses currently occupying sites• Noise and other quality of life issues

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Task Force Process

• Task Force hosted widely-attended (over 150 people) public forum on June 18

• 25 members of the public spoke – mostly in support of retaining local small businesses

• In August, Task Force held another round of public balloting

• Task Force’s Final Recommendation for 3 sites:• Nichols/Bromptons site• Koons Toyota Dealership (ultimate site)• Brown Honda Dealership Front

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Lessons Learned

• Communication between the County and citizens is paramount

• Wide participation should be sought in any siting exercise

• Inclusion of neighborhoods who would be affected by the siting decision

• Process should be collaborative and owned by all

• Involving citizens directly with the process by aiding them in doing their own presentations and evaluations is helpful

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Lessons Learned

• Good to separate the siting from the design process in this case – could be advantages to considering design in other siting cases

• Defined scope of work for siting task force

• Firm “deliverable” date for task force work

• Don’t presuppose or take sites off the table without comparing them to the agreed upon criteria

• Don’t limit sites artificially

• Use fact-based criteria to identify sites for facilities

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