August99-3

Architect's Remarks

Fire Station number seven, the North Hills Fire Station, is at long last ready for use. It was expected to be ready in January, but rains delayed the paving and landscaping. Neighbor Nancy Pollack deserves credit for managing the placement of plants and boulders, working alongside the subcontractor.

Artist Scott Constable is currently installing his sculptural benches and table, which should encourage the neighbors' use of the mini-park portion of the site. Scott won the selection supervised by the City's Cultural Arts Division. A few interested neighbors were invited to participate in discussions following the competing artists' presentations.

The reaction of the neighborhood to the completed building has been generally positive. As they had hoped, the station seems comfortable in its setting. The rambling form, residential scale and quiet colors tend to make it disappear, and the landscaped open space adds an amenity to the streetscape.

The project began 3-1/2 years ago when the City identified the

potential site and organized a community meeting to solicit sup -port for the concept. The site is strategically well located. It cuts response time to the hill area in half and places a facility on the hill side of the Hayward fault. The property is small and faces narrow streets. From the beginning, the neigbors supported the project and about thirty of them were regulars at the more than fifteen planning and design sessions. No less than thirteen different site solutions were studied, and the plans, materials and colors were developed in open discussions. The design was bid twice, as the budget had to be adjusted to reflect the recommend- ation of the City's cost consultant. The final cost including landscaping was about $1 million, paid from Measure I funds.

Two trucks will be stationed at the facility, a normal-sized pumper and a smaller "brush truck." Current plans are for the station to be staffed daily during the current fire season, and the trucks are expected to be patrolling. The City says the site and apparatus bays will be available for community gatherings, and some storage space will be available for neighborhood earthquake supplies.

&endash; Peter Scott

	Architect's Remarks

	Fire Station number seven, the North Hills Fire Station, is at long last ready for use. It was expected to be ready in January, but rains delayed the paving and landscaping. Neighbor Nancy Pollack deserves credit for managing the placement of plants and boulders, working alongside the subcontractor. Artist Scott Constable is currently installing his sculptural benches and table, which should encourage the neighbors' use of the mini-park portion of the site. Scott won the selection supervised by the City's Cultural Arts Division. A few interested neighbors were invited to participate in discussions following the competing artists' presentations. The reaction of the neighborhood to the completed building has been generally positive. As they had hoped, the station seems comfortable in its setting. The rambling form, residential scale and quiet colors tend to make it disappear, and the landscaped open space adds an amenity to the streetscape. The project began 3-1/2 years ago when the City identified the						potential site and organized a community meeting to solicit sup -port for the concept. The site is strategically well located. It cuts response time to the hill area in half and places a facility on the hill side of the Hayward fault. The property is small and faces narrow streets. From the beginning, the neigbors supported the project and about thirty of them were regulars at the more than fifteen planning and design sessions. No less than thirteen different site solutions were studied, and the plans, materials and colors were developed in open discussions. The design was bid twice, as the budget had to be adjusted to reflect the recommend- ation of the City's cost consultant. The final cost including landscaping was about $1 million, paid from Measure I funds. Two trucks will be stationed at the facility, a normal-sized pumper and a smaller "brush truck." Current plans are for the station to be staffed daily during the current fire season, and the trucks are expected to be patrolling. The City says the site and apparatus bays will be available for community gatherings, and some storage space will be available for neighborhood earthquake supplies. &endash; Peter Scott