Capital Facilities Projects and Purchases

The Lea Hill Fire Station 34 project is moving forward quickly. We expect to start construction on the site, located at 31400 block of 124th Ave SE, later this summer. We are currently engaged in the permitting process with the City of Auburn and recently submitted that last of the required documents for their approval. The project sign was posted a couple weeks ago providing the community with an opportunity to see what is planned for the site. Due to the large volume of pedestrian traffic passing in front of this facility, we have incorporated a covered area in front of the lobby with some seating providing those walking a place to stop and rest or get out of the weather. This project includes the many of the same design features as our Lakeland Fire Station 33. This helped reduce our design development cost and gave us the opportunity to get the project ready to construct months ahead of the previous estimates.  The Architectural rendering below, shows the completed Fire Station as viewed from 124th Ave SE and looking to the northeast.

As the Spring season emerges from Winter, so emerges Station 32 from demolition. After several months of tearing apart the old building, evidence of the new facility is visible. Exterior weather surface installation is underway and the interior wallboard is nearly installed. The General Contractor is indicating they expect to be “substantially complete” in the next 60 days or so. This is well ahead of the contracted schedule. As you may expect in any ‘remodel” project, several items were noted during demolition and construction that required change orders. Even with these changes we remain on track to complete the project within the approved budget. The below photo shows the exterior “stone” used on the lower half of the wall below the masonry panel siding to be installed soon.

We are very near contract closeout with Powell Construction on this facility. In the next several weeks the final landscape work will be completed and minor warranty work will be finished. The VRFA personnel assigned to this site find it to be very well constructed and very suitable to operations. On March 23rd, Station 33 was the focus of a day long photography shoot. Rice Fergus Miller Architects, the principal designer of the facility, requested permission from the VRFA to take photographs for use in their marketing and industry recognition campaigns. The VRFA is very proud of this project, so we readily granted permission to do so. When photographs are available for public release we will post them on the website. Until that time, we have included the photo below of Station 33, which was taken by VRFA personnel looking “over the shoulder” of the professional photographer.

Station 33

On December 10, 2009 at 3:30 p.m. the VRFA began operations from the newly constructed Fire Station 33. This “state of the art” facility, located at 500 182nd Ave. E. in Auburn, is the fifth fire station operated by the VRFA. Although it will take several months to refine the operational aspects of the building, the critical work is completed. We expect to announce public meeting room use procedures, blood pressure check schedules and other public uses of the building and grounds over the next few months.

Station 32

The Station 32 remodel project is well underway. The building, located at 1951 R St. SE in Auburn, is surrounded by security fencing during the demolition phase. The interior and exterior skin of the building will be removed and structural repairs will be made to enhance the lifespan of the building. A floor plan redesign will be incorporated to make more efficient use of the space. The building will be reinforced to new seismic standards and storm water quality systems will be added to ensure the building is compliant with all the standards. This project is expected to be completed in late summer of 2010.

Station 34

The VRFA Board of Governance has approved the construction of a new fire station on Lea Hill to replace the aging facility located on the corner of 124th Ave. SE and SE 312th Street. The original plan for station 34 included an extensive remodel of the existing building. Due to construction complications presented by the very small site and the proximity to a busy intersection, the design team looked at other options. The decision to build a new station was made possible by the cost savings realized in Fire Station 33 and Fire Station 32 projects. The new Fire Station 34 will be located on the NE corner of 124th Ave. SE and SE 314th St. where adequate public and staff parking can be incorporated and access to major routes of travel are easily achieved.  The 11,000 plus square-foot building is currently in the permitting process and construction is expected to begin in mid-summer. Public input will be required in procuring the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) from Auburn for construction of the facility. The architect has incorporated many of the effective design elements from Station 33 with a splash of flavor from the Lea Hill area and the Green River College campus. A pedestrian friendly plaza entry facing 124th Avenue SE will invite our community to stop by and take a break on the built-in benches and covered rest area when out for an evening walk or commuting to school from the many residential areas around the facility. A small wetlands behind the facility will be enhanced to provide a place for neighbors and others to enjoy the “green” space. A ground breaking ceremony is expected to be held in the late spring.

Ladder Truck

The ladder truck is expected to arrive in the first few months of 2010 when it will undergo acceptance testing and be outfitted it with tools and equipment. Then specially trained firefighters will spend several weeks learning how to most effectively and safely drive and deploy the vehicle with it’s unique equipment and capabilities. At such time as Ladder 31 is placed in service, it will be introduced to the community at many public events.

The parking lot, curbs, gutters, sidewalks and siding are all the focus of this update. The asphalt parking and driveways have been installed and the asphalt overlay of the road in front of the facility will take place soon. To make this happen, hundreds of cubic yards of concrete were poured for the front and rear apparatus aprons leading in and out of the apparatus bays. Concrete curbing and gutters were also installed, clearly outlining the entrances to the parking area, the employee entrance and the landscape areas. Concrete pads were poured for the dumpster enclosure, fuel station, generator enclosure and the vehicle wash area. Siding is also being installed above the masonry façade on the lower walls. You might ask how our siding is relevant to either asphalt or concrete. The siding being used on the building is a cement based board. This low maintenance product actually serves as a rain shield rather than a primary protector from the weather. It is mounted on a steel channel approximately one inch off the surface of the weatherproof membrane installed on exterior walls. It is only secured to the channel in a few places and is designed to expand and contract as the weather and seasons change. It is a full color product meaning once it is installed it never needs paint. A light washing on occasion will ensure many years of service on the building.

This week we are looking at roofs! The installation of a roof represents progress towards final completion of a building.  Demolition of a roof can represent progress in completing a project also.  The photo on the left shows the installation process of the metal roof for Lakeland Station 33. You can see the masonry block that is being used to finish the bottom half of the exterior walls. Once the roof is installed workers will focus their energy on the inside of the building.

This week the outer “shell” of the fire station should be completed. As of today, only a small portion of roof and wall sheathing was left to install on the south end of the building as shown in the left photo. At the other end of the building, the right photo shows the work has started on the installation of the cut masonry exterior that makes up the lower half of the walls. Inside the building, plumbers, electricians, fire sprinkler technicians and HVAC workers are engaged in a coordinated effort to install the “rough in” materials for their specific needs. Outside, the underground utility and storm water work continues behind the recently completed retaining wall. As many as 25 workers per day are at the site.

With the recent stretch of good weather, significant progress is being made. The framing of the office/residence area is underway and expected to be completed in the next few weeks. The retaining wall construction is nearing completion with trucks dumping hundreds of cubic yards of fill for compaction while excavation work continues on the storm water retention ponds. Electrical and plumbing contractors have started the “rough in” in the building. The metal roofing should be ready to install in the next few weeks.

Photos:

Left: The retaining wall and the back of the fire station as seen from the storm water retention pond maintenance road.
Right: The apparatus bay as seen from the mechanical and I/T room mezzanine.  

The back of the fire station is the focus this week. The photographs show the retaining wall under construction that will support the “rear” entrance to the fire station and the back of the apparatus bay. The unique installation properties of the “Crib Lock” retaining wall system allowed us to install and fill the wall from the back side, minimizing the impacts to the sensitive Wetlands Park property during construction. The soil is added and compacted as the concrete wall pieces are systematically added. This secure entrance to the fire station will be accessible from a driveway on the north side of the building where a security gate will lead to the drive-through apparatus bays, employee parking, a fuel station, vehicle wash barn and the emergency power generator.

This week you should see all the above materials at the Lakeland Station 33 project. Concrete work is nearly completed on the floors. The concrete based materials for the retaining wall are delivered and ready for installation weather permitting. Four steel columns are standing, awaiting the forty or so steel columns yet to be erected. The remaining steel should be delivered this week. A truckload of structural wood beams are delivered, stacked and ready to be hoisted into place. Additional wood framing materials will be delivered soon. The framing contractor expects to start work this week. This means that walls should visible soon.

Left: Superintendent Vern stands on what will be the “Conference Room” adjacent to the “Public Entrance” at the south end of the building. The four existing steel columns to support the roof are visible in background.

Right: The ground work to support the retaining wall is done and visible at the far right of the picture.  As the wall gets installed additional fill will be used to make the area where the fueling station and vehicle washing area will be constructed.

The HME chassis, which serves as the backbone of the Rosenbauer/Metz 105’ aerial, is at the Metz factory in Germany for the installation of the aerial ladder and related systems. This phase of the apparatus construction is expected to be completed in August. The ladder component will be installed, function tested and shipped back to the USA for final outfitting. We expect delivery to the VRFA later this year. Click on the link to see more regarding the capabilities of the Rosenbauer/Metz aerial apparatus. www.rosenbaueramerica.com/apparatus/trucks/aerials/raptor/

Rising from the dozens of truckloads of compacted fill dirt, the outline of Lakeland Fire Station 33 is becoming visible. This week the concrete forms and steel for the building foundation were completed. The photographs below show the steel reinforcing bar reaching skyward while waiting to be covered in concrete early next week. The picture on the left is looking north through what will eventually be the public entry and lobby area. The picture on the right is looking south through the breathing air compressor room and electrical room at the other end of the building.

The photographs below were received from HMI incorporated. They build the cab and chassis for General Fire Apparatus that is used on the Rosenbauer/Metz aerial purchased by the VRFA. In April, select VRFA personnel will start phase one of our required ladder truck training. Twenty-four fire fighters and Captains will be trained and certified to staff the ladder truck on a 24/7/365 basis. This training will be completed in late 2009 coinciding with the delivery and outfitting of the new apparatus.

After receiving the required permits this week, the clearing and grubbing of the site is well underway. The job shack has been located in an area that will eventually be the driveway for VRFA staff and fire apparatus. Organic debris is being chipped and hauled off the site in preparations for storm water pond construction next week.

This week the site preparation work began in earnest. Crews constructed the silt fencing, established water monitoring practices for sensitive areas, fell trees and cleared brush for access. Permits are being finalized with Bonney Lake Water and Pierce County in preparation for a pre-construction meeting with the City of Auburn before site grading can begin.

Photos:
 Left: Logger drops trees with orange silt fencing visible in the background.

VRFA Administrator Robertson and VRFA staff join the “logging” team for the falling of the first tree on the Fire Station 33 site. This “ceremonial” event was held in recognition of the beginning of the physical site work. Next week, subcontractors, under the supervision of General Contractor Powell Construction, will begin the logging, grubbing and grading required to prepare the site for building. Over the next few weeks visible changes will occur at the site as trees are removed, retaining walls are built and fill material is hauled in and compacted. We will keep you informed of our progress with weekly photo postings to this website. If you have any questions regarding this or any of our projects, please send us an e-mail at askthevrfa.org. We will promptly respond to your inquiry.

Photos left to right:
VRFA staff join the “logger” and Project Manager Paul Berry of Harris and Associates to pose in front of the designated “first tree to fall”.

Administrator Robertson and Project Manager Berry declare “victory” after the falling of the tree.

On a very chilly December 16, 2008 the VRFA held a ground breaking ceremony for Lakeland Station 33. About 50 guests were in attendance for the ceremonial ground breaking recognizing the award of contract and the beginning of construction on this long awaited, Lakeland area Fire Station. Due to the frigid weather conditions, the ceremonial “dirt” turning was actually bagged compost which was kept indoors until right before the event to prevent it from freezing. 

At the December 11, 2008 VRFA Board meeting, the contract for Station 33 was awarded to the qualified, low bidder on the project, Powell Construction of Bellevue, Washington. The VRFA expects to have final contracts executed and a notice to proceed issued in early January of 2009. The project completion is scheduled for late Fall 2009.

The VRFA ladder truck is under construction. The 105” Rosenbauer/Metz apparatus is currently having the final revisions completed to the specifications. The manufacturer has frame and chassis parts ordered and a place is reserved in the assembly line for this vehicle to be constructed. Delivery is expected in late 2009. Fire fighters will begin specialized training for this vehicle in April of 2009 so that we have staff ready to put the vehicle in service when it arrives.

The Station 32 and Station 34 remodel projects are moving along on time and on budget. Final revisions are being completed to Station 32 before starting the permit process with the City of Auburn. This project will begin in late Spring 2009.

The Station 34 Project is the last in the CFP to begin. Design/Development work will begin in the next few months.

Photo’s
Left: VRFA Administrator Eric Robertson introduces dignitaries
Center: VRFA Governance Board and Administrator turn ceremonial soil
Right: VRFA Employees turn soil on new Fire Station 33

The VRFA is diligently working with the architect on the Lakeland Fire Station. The construction documents are 90% completed and permitting for water, septic, conditional use and the SEPA determination are all in the pipeline with the appropriate agencies. The City of Auburn has received public comment on the proposed use and will be scheduling a time to appear before their Hearing Examiner in the next month.  Weekly meetings between VRFA staff and the architect (Ed McManamna of Rice Fergus Miller) and Project Manager (Paul Berry of Harris and Associates) continue. Work is focused on refining the final specifications and reviewing the schedule. Concurrently we have started the design development process for South Auburn Station 32 which is an extensive remodel of the existing building.  

Significant events and the approximate the timelines are as follows:

Lakeland Station:
Final Design cost estimation in mid-June
Preparation of Bid Documents in June/July
Bid Project in August
Select Contractor in September
Notice to proceed with construction in Early October.

Photo’s
Left side is the public notice sign on the Lakeland site.
Center is the test hole for the septic as required by Pierce County Health Department
Right is a site view looking from the west to the east.