Form revised May 26, 2009

FISCAL NOTE FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS ONLY

Department:	Contact Person/Phone:	DOF Analyst/Phone:
Legislative – City Council	Kieu-Anh King 684-4678	Kathryn Ewing/206.733.9580

Legislation Title: AN ORDINANCE providing for the acquisition by negotiation or by condemnation of land and other property rights at the location commonly known as 2806 15^th Avenue West, Lot 11, Block 29, Gilman’s Addition to the City of Seattle, according to the plat thereof recorded in Volume 5 of Plats, page 93, records of King County, Washington, for general municipal purposes including, but not limited to, the construction of Fire Station 20.

Summary and background of the Legislation:

The Fire Facilities and Emergency Response Levy Program (Levy Program) approved by Seattle voters on November 4, 2003, includes the acquisition of nine sites for relocation or expansion projects.  Funds for all property acquisitions were originally authorized by Ordinance 121380. 

The existing Fire Station 20 facility, located just off West Dravus Street at 3205 13^th Avenue West, is 2,860 square feet and is located on 6,000 square feet of land.  The current facility, built in the 1940’s and since remodeled, is too small to meet the Seattle Fire Department’s (SFD’s) current operational requirements.  Additionally, its building systems are at the end of their useful lives.  A review of City facilities by the Historic Preservation Program concluded that this facility is not of historic significance.

Because of the inadequacy of the current Fire Station 20, the Levy Program planned the construction of a new station.  Beginning in 2005, SFD and the Fleets and Facilities Department (FFD) conducted a comprehensive review to identify candidate sites for a new fire station in the response area.

The recommendation to buy adjacent properties for site expansion was not approved and the City Council subsequently approved Resolution Number 30978 on April 9, 2007.  This Resolution resulted in a collaborative effort by the City Council and Mayor to hire a consultant to conduct an additional review of possible replacement sites.  The selected consultant, EnviroIssues, conducted an analysis of 42 potential sites. 

Further review and analysis was undertaken on a limited number of sites, with a more in-depth review conducted for a site option located at the northeast corner of 15^th Avenue West and West Armour Street and generally referred to as the “Four Seasons Site”.  The review concluded that the Four Seasons Site is a feasible option for a replacement Fire Station 20.  The Site consists of four parcels; the parcel identified in this legislation and adjoining parcels in companion legislation are proposed for acquisition for the purposes of constructing a new Fire Station 20.

Project Name:	Project I.D.	Project Location:	Start Date:	End Date
Fire Station 20 Land Acquisition	A1FL101	West Queen Anne

__x__ This legislation has financial implications.

There are no appropriations included in this legislation.  The cost of the property acquisition authorized in this and companion ordinances will be partially funded from funds authorized and appropriated by Ordinance 121380.  The remainder of the funding will be allocated through a supplemental appropriation to the 2009 Adopted Budget.

· Do positions sunset in the future?  N/A

· What is the financial cost of not implementing the legislation:

In the short term, not implementing this legislation means that the City will not expend an amount of funds equal to the negotiated purchase price of this property parcel, and that the remaining balance of funds in this project (A1FL101) and a proposed supplemental appropriation to the 2009 Adopted Budget will be available for other City and/or Fire Facilities Levy uses.

In the long term, not implementing this legislation may cause an increased or a decreased financial burden on the City. Because this neighborhood fire station will need to be replaced eventually, the cost of purchasing an alternate site may be less or more than the cost of this site. If City property values increase in the future, not implementing this legislation will result in increased future-year costs to the City.

• Does this legislation affect any departments besides the originating department? 

Yes. This legislation is Council-generated, but will require considerable follow-up effort by staff of the Real Estate Division at the Fleets & Facilities Department.

• What are the possible alternatives to the legislation that could achieve the same or similar objectives

The two siting processes conducted for Fire Station #20 have only identified one alternative to this legislation: to purchase, with eminent domain authority, two to three single-family residences adjacent to the current station site. This alternative has not been recommended by the City Council.

• Is the legislation subject to public hearing requirements: No

• Other Issues (including long-term implications of the legislation):

· List attachments to the fiscal note below:

Attachment 1 – Map, “Attachment 1 to LEG FS20 Property Purchase Parcel B ORD Fiscal Note”