Former U.S. Marshall Eric Robertson had never before been responsible for shepherding the construction of a new fire station.

And on his first go, the administrator of the Valley Regional Fire Authority has found his schedule chock full of chiefs – the ones who issue permits, not the sort who snuff out fires.

“We have all these entities we are dealing with, and we are working through things,” Robertson said. “We are ploughing through, but it takes time.”

“Entities” that number the City of Auburn, which will issue the building and conditional use permits for the site in Lakeland Hills, the nearby City of Bonney Lake, which will provide water, the Pierce County Health Department, which will oversee the septic issues, and the State Forest Practices Board that will supervise tree removal.

The new station is part of the $19.8 million general obligation bond voters approved Feb. 19.

Located north of the intersection of Lake Tapps Parkway and 182nd Avenue East, the new station will provide support to the areas in the city of Pacific now served by Station 38 and South Auburn Station 32.

The VRFA determined that the site provides excellent access to the fast-growing areas in and around Lakeland Hills. It also has considered the site for a future building that could include an emergency operations center and administrative offices.

The total cost of the building and site work is $5.4 million.

The Lakeland Station does not require any new land acquisition. Years ago the city purchased a 9/10s of an acre parcel on A Street Southeast for a fire station it never built.

Robertson expects to break ground at the end of November or beginning of December and wrap up construction in November 2009.

The bond also pays for:

• A complete interior and exterior remodel of the 27-year-old Lea Hill Station 24 at 31204 124th Ave. S.E.

• A complete interior and exterior remodel of 23-year-old South Auburn Station 32 at 1951 R St. S.E.

• A new ladder truck to replace the 1998 combination fire engine and 65-foot high hydraulic ladder.

“We are getting ready to award the bid on the fire truck,” Robertson said. “It has been published and we have received bids and are getting to score the bids.”