Asotin County restarts fire station bidding

Asotin County fire officials are taking a new approach to converting a church into a fire station after the first round of construction bids came in much higher than expected. The lowest bid came in $1.1 million higher than the fire district's budget for the project.

At a special meeting Wednesday, fire district commissioners voted in favor of dividing the $3.5 million project into at least two phases, beginning with excavation at the Clarkston Heights site this summer.

The decision follows the rejection of all three bids received in March for a complete renovation of district-owned property at 2377 Appleside Blvd.

"I think the responsible thing to do for our constituency is to not spend money we don't have," said Commissioner Patrick Loseth.

Clarkston architect Jerry Brotnov has been working on ways to reduce costs without sacrificing safety or any operational features in the original plans. Dividing the project into phases is one way to increase the competition, he said, because smaller projects tend to attract more bidders.

The commissioners agreed, saying it was appropriate to take a breather after the disappointing numbers earlier this spring and make sure everything's done right. They plan to advertise for bids as early as next week and select an excavator at their regular meeting June 12.

In the fall, the second phase will move to center stage with a focus on building bays to house equipment and fire trucks and possibly remodeling the interior as funds allow.

"The bays are the meat and potatoes of this project," Brotnov said.

In 2014, when the church property was purchased, Fire Chief Noel Hardin said the district has outgrown its current station, and officials spent two years searching for a property large enough to accommodate its emergency operations and equipment. The new site has a 22,000-square-foot building and encompasses 8 acres.

Following the purchase, the Asotin County Fire District was awarded a $750,000 grant for the upgrade, and voters approved a levy lid lift in 2017 to help cover the remodeling costs and replace outdated equipment.

In addition, about $1 million in reserves has been designated for the project, and the district can use a $1.75 million non-voter-approved bond to help cover the expenses, Hardin said.

During the renovation, crews will dismantle the septic tanks and connect the station to the sewer system in the Heights. Brotnov said that part of the project will be done when school is out, which should ease traffic concerns on Fourth Avenue and Appleside Boulevard.

The excavation phase should move quickly once the bid is awarded and work begins, Brotnov said.

Loseth said the district is fortunate to have a fully functioning fire station to use while the new station is built to state and federal standards.

"Yes, we're moving forward," Loseth said. "To do so responsibly makes sense to me."

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Sandaine may be contacted at kerris@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2264. Follow her on Twitter @newsfromkerri.