Story & Photos by Ralph Nichols
Ground was broken for a new fire station for the Burien/Normandy Park Fire Department in the Manhattan area June 28.
Participating in the event were King County Fire District No. 2 commissioners, Fire Chief Mike Marrs, department firefighters representing all three shifts, and local officials.
Neeley Construction of Puyallup, the general contractor, is expected to start moving equipment onto the site at 135 S. Normandy Park Rd. – just off 1st Ave. S. east of the Manhattan Village QFC – July 2.
Construction supervisor Brian Hogman said site clearing and preparation will be done before actual work begins on new Fire Station 29.
Marrs said the project will cost about $5 million, with construction expected to be completed and the facility occupied between late July and early August, 2013.
The new fire station will be located on two residential lots immediately south of existing Station 29 at Normandy Rd. and Occidental Ave. S., which were purchased earlier by Fire District No. 2.
It will be a two-story, 18,850 square-foot building with three vehicle bays, a maintenance bay, a training classroom, and sleep rooms for six firefighters, plus an emergency generator and fuel pump.
The old station, which will remain in use during construction, will then be demolished and replaced with an 18-stall parking area and a storm water runoff retention pond.
“This is very exciting,” Marrs said before the actual groundbreaking. “This project required lots of planning and foresight.”
The chief noted that construction of the new fire station “would not be possible without the overwhelming support of the citizens of Burien and Normandy Park in tough economic times.”
Voters in Fire District No. 2 approved in November 2008 a $25 million bond issue for construction of a new headquarters fire station in Burien and replacement of Station 29.
Because of this support, the fire district is getting long-needed new fire stations “that will last 70 years or more” to replace its outdated facilities, Marrs added.
Construction of Station 28 at 900 SW 146th St. in Burien, which has been underway since late last summer, “is on time and on budget,” he told The B-Town Blog.
Work on the new headquarters station is expected to be completed with it occupied and in use by late July or early August. Bayley Construction of Mercer Island is the general contractor.
Bonney-Watson for decades had a mortuary and chapel at this location until selling the property to Fire District 2 in early 2010.
When ground was broken for Fire Station 28, Marrs said Burien has needed a new headquarters station to replace the outdated and undersized existing facility at the corner of SW 151st St. and 8th Ave. SW.
The new station includes space for the department’s ladder truck, which now must be parked away from downtown.
Fire District No. 2 commissioners will decide what to do with the old headquarters station after fire department operations have been transferred to the new station.
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Ground Broken for Second Burien/Normandy Park Fire Station
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Just as I finished reading this I heard the first of what I know will be many explosions in my neighborhood this next week. Since I know from the last few years that calling the Burien police non-emergency line just gets brushed off (I am told they are busy with real crime), who enforces the fireworks ban? Shouldn’t the city be cashing in on all the revenue the citations would generate? I’m sure if the city asked for some volunteers for a citizen patrol to write them they would have more than enough volunteers.
Wouldn’t it be easier to prevent fires than to put them out? People just don’t use common sense with fireworks anymore. Leave it to the professionals, go to a show like Three Tree Points who gets permits and hires a pyrotechnition.
Are you SERIOUS ? I was at the show last year and there were more locals lighting off fireworks then the Barge. The cops were just there for the under age Drunks. The Ban should be inforced or there should be NO BAN….it’s called a feel good law…it’s on the books and everybody is happy…but…no Police to enforce it….Feels Good to have Laws doesn’t it.
Maybe that what the three new or saved police officers are going to do, write tickets for fireworks.