San Rafael, CA – The Marin County Department of Public Works (DPW) project to rebuild the 47-year-old Tomales Fire Station is moving forward following the California Coastal Commission’s permit approval.
The existing Tomales Fire Station was built in 1971. The project’s technical details and drawings are now being refined as it enters the construction plans and specifications phase. In July, the project will go to the Marin County Board of Supervisors for final approval before being released to bid. The preliminary estimate for the total project is $8.7 million but the construction cost aspect will not be formalized until contractor bids are received. Construction of the modern fire station is expected to begin this fall, helping to ensure the safety of West Marin residents for years to come.
Marin County’s fire stations were assessed in a 2010 Fire Facilities Vision Plan, and it became evident that the Tomales station did not meet modern fire facility requirements, including seismic codes, equipment capacity and service demands. The necessary improvements require a complete redesign of the building from the ground up. After the 2010 study, the Board of Supervisors started setting aside reserve funds to implement the long-term modernization plan.
Ross Drulis Cusenbery Architecture, Inc, was contracted last year by DPW for design and engineering services of the new station. A community scoping meeting was held in Tomales in June 2017. The design is a highly efficient facility that will bring the fire station up to today’s standards for an essential services building.
The existing facility, constructed in 1971, was only designed to house a single-engine company with living quarters for one firefighter. However, it now serves the largest area of any Marin County Fire Department station, including Tomales, Marshall, Dillon Beach, and Chileno Valley, as well as being the only one that supports a local volunteer fire company and responds to Tomales Bay emergencies. Additionally, the station provides mutual aid to the Sonoma County communities of Two Rock, Bodega Bay, Valley Ford, and the U.S. Coast Guard. To handle these responsibilities, the facility has three fire engines, water search and rescue equipment, and during fire season, a six-person crew for wildland fire protection under contract with California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as CAL Fire.
During the estimated year-long construction, the region’s fire safety services will remain fully functional and operate out of a temporary facility, the location of which is still being considered.