BRENTWOOD — The Brentwood Planning Commission on Tuesday postponed its decision on a new downtown fire station, citing the need for more information before moving forward with the hotly debated project.
After more than five hours of deliberation, the commission voted 4-0 on a motion to continue the design review application of Fire Station 94 to a future meeting and instructed city staff to provide details on the impact it would have on traffic, noise, and air quality.
Commissioners also requested that staff provide information on how the city determined that a conditional use permit was not needed for the project. A staff report noted that the project, located within the Downtown Core zoning district, allows fire stations to occupy the designated area.
Newly appointed Commissioner Jeremy Jones recused himself from the discussion, citing that his employer has a building near the proposed fire station.
Planning Commission Chairperson Anita Roberts reiterated several times during Tuesday’s meeting that she was unable to proceed with a decision because she had reservations about how the project was granted a California Environmental Quality Act exemption.
Citing the staff report, Roberts questioned how the city determined that the proposed fire station “would not result in significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality.”
“I don’t know who is making these determinations that there are no concerns about the location of this fire station and some of these safety, noise, and certainly airborne toxin issues,” said Roberts. “I don’t have analysis. … We don’t have any kind of reports in the agenda packet.”
She said it would be a “mishap” to decide on the project without pertinent reports.
Her fellow commissioners expressed similar concerns about traffic and noise pollution in the area. They also questioned the turn radius and the ingress and egress of the two fire engines that will be placed there.
Micheal Ross, the project’s principal architect from DLR Group, said they used computer modeling to test the fire apparatus paths of travel and turn radius requirements.
“The study showed there will be no conflict with the existing traffic patterns or the diagonal parking across First Street,” said Ross.
During a lengthy public comment period, residents worried about pedestrian safety downtown. Some questioned whether the roads and alleyways would be damaged more easily as heavy fire engines go in and out of the bays.
Some said noise pollution caused by warning sirens can trigger PTSD for veterans and residents, while others, including planning commissioners, asked if the fire station would interfere with special events such as parades or farmers markets.
The proposed 8,137-square-foot fire station next to Brentwood Veteran’s Memorial Hall has continuously faced objections from military veterans and residents of the city, who claim the site has been “historically and legally” designated for veteran use only.
While some veterans did not oppose a new fire station in the city, they questioned its location and argued that Contra Costa County could not reallocate the land purchased nearly a century ago through a special tax established in 1922 to build memorial halls in the county for the use of American Legion Posts and ex-servicemen.
Last month, Contra Costa County Supervisor Diane Burgis wrote an op-ed stating that Station 94’s location was suitable for handling service calls for most residents of Brentwood and East County.
She also maintained that the Contra Costa Fire District owns the land for the fire station, but the parcel for the Veterans Memorial building belongs to the county.
Burgis said her staff, together with the fire district’s leadership, has been consulting with veterans since 2023.
“We have granted an easement for their wheelchair ramp and earmarked $350,000 in funds to improve the building, including adding permitted storage and on-site handicapped parking,” said Burgis. “The Brentwood Veterans Memorial Building is here to stay, and it is located on County-owned land.”