The police and fire building in Oak Bay is “functionally deficient” in engineering terms and it’s time to start looking at a new model, council heard from its facilities and asset management program manager.
In other words, David Graham said, “it is safe but it’s too small to fit the modern equipment we use and it won’t perform very well in an earthquake.”
Graham presented the first step in finding a suitable site and building to serve the community – a feasibility study, signed off by the committee on Feb. 20.
Currently, the fire and police departments are both located at 1703 Monterey Ave.
The building includes the original fire hall, built in 1938 and expanded in 1963 to add two apparatus bays. It houses offices, an exercise room and utilities, a kitchen, a washroom, meeting rooms and dormitory.
A unisex washroom and showers do not meet requirements and there is insufficient space for public training, according to the district’s 2021 facilities master plan.
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The police station was added in 1958 followed by a two small additions between then and 1978 resulting in a total building area of 5,150 square feet. The police station consists of staff offices and kitchen, interview rooms, a holding cell, records, evidence, lockers, storage, washrooms, change rooms, and a meeting area.
Seismic upgrades done on the entire building in 2002 don’t meet current standards.
The target is a new purpose-built post disaster facility that could house police and emergency management services – such as fire and rescue, police emergency response, emergency volunteer services, serve as an EOC and provide public training spaces.
“It is more than just a police and fire hall,” Graham explained.
After a review of the existing site and potential new properties, viable options will be analyzed against criteria to identify a preferred option.
A main consideration presented by the public, through speakers in attendance at the meeting and letters to council, is that Bowker Creek is deemed not in the scope of the work.
Advocacy group The Friends of Bowker Creek penned a letter over disappointment the watershed was deemed “out of scope” and concerns that wording “limits the opportunity to integrate large public investments with watershed health and stream stewardship.”
Graham, a frequent walker along the Bowker pathway, noted that holistically it would be treated as a separate project.
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“It’s out of scope in terms of a feasibility study for a public safety building,” Graham said, noting the feasibility study is a high-level start. The creek and stormwater management in general should and would be discussed later in the process.
The first brush would be technical requirements and evaluation coming back to council ahead of public consultation.
The first return is expected in September with the technical analysis of what’s needed for the public safety building.
The goal is to have a set of preferred technical locations by early next year.
