VRFA breaks ground on Lea Hill Station 34

Under the shadow of the 105-foot-high ladder on the fire truck, members of the Valley Regional Fire Authority Board of Governance broke out the shovels and turned dirt Aug. 4 on the new $2.9 million Lea Hill Fire Station 34.

By Robert Whale • August 11, 2010 9:00 pm
The Valley Regional Fire Authority board of directors recently broke ground on the new Lea Hill Fire Station 34. From left
The Valley Regional Fire Authority board of directors recently broke ground on the new Lea Hill Fire Station 34. From left

Under the shadow of the 105-foot-high ladder on the fire truck, members of the Valley Regional Fire Authority Board of Governance broke out the shovels and turned dirt Aug. 4 on the new $2.9 million Lea Hill Fire Station 34.

Voters in Auburn, Algona and Pacific approved construction of the station as part of a capital projects funding measure in February of 2008.

“This station is another regional investment in public safety by the Valley Regional Fire Authority,” said Algona Mayor David Hill, VRFA chairman of the board. “It’s a building that will serve the people of Algona, Auburn and Pacific for decades into the future.”

“This is another significant step that we’ve made since the beginning of 2007 when the VRFA was created,” said VRFA Administrator Eric Robertson.

Station 34, located on the 31400 block of 124th Avenue Southeast in Auburn, is one of five VRFA fire stations serving Auburn, Algona and Pacific. The others are as follows: North Auburn Station 31 at 1101 D St. NE.; South Auburn Station 32 at 1951 R St. SE.; Lakeland Station 33 at 500 182nd Ave. E.; and Pacific Station 38 at 133 3rd Ave. SE.

“With all of these strategically placed stations. we’ve seen a reduction in our response time and an increase in our unit availability,” Robertson said.

The present Station 34, built in 1977, is a stone’s throw away at 31204 124th Ave. S.E. The VRFA’s original plan was to remodel that building and bring it up to code, but it proved too costly and unable to meet the needs of a growing community.

During construction, the VRFA will continue to work out of Station 34, saving money it would otherwise have had to spend on rent, Robertson said.

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New station glance

• What: Lea Hill Fire Station 34

• Where: 31400 block of 124th Avenue Southeast

• Size: 11,200 square feet

• Cost: $2.9 million, not including tax

• Owner: VRFA

• Project manager: Paul Berry, Harris and Associates

• Architect: Ed McManamna, Rice Fergus Miller Architecture and Planning

• General Contractor: Powell Construction, Bellevue

• Finished by: Summer 2011