Lake Oswego task force urges new South Shore fire station and recommends phase‑2 design, possible bond

A Lake Oswego task force concluded the South Shore Fire Station has reached the end of its useful life and recommended the City Council direct staff to move to a phase‑2 design and engagement process, including exploring acquisition of an adjacent lot.

Task Force Chair Chris Durkee told the council the group examined coverage needs, existing facility conditions and long‑term program requirements and reached unanimous consensus on rebuilding on the current site rather than pursuing condemnation of a different parcel. "We recommend the council direct staff to proceed with two key efforts moving forward," Durkee said, asking the council to commission preliminary designs and begin community engagement.

The report identified 11 major deficiencies in the existing station: living quarters without seismic reinforcement, inadequate egress windows, a mixed‑roof configuration that causes pooling and HVAC maintenance issues, repeated backup generator limitations and chronic sewage backups in bathroom drains. Presenters said the facility’s structural and operational shortcomings cannot be corrected through economical renovation.

Task force analysis prioritized response‑time performance. Presenters noted National Fire Protection Association and Clackamas County drive‑time standards (8 minutes for first arriving paramedic; county requires 90% compliance for priority 1 calls). Staff said removing South Shore from the model increases the share of residents in the 6–8 minute band from roughly 9% to 31%, and that rail or bridge failures could further isolate downtown resources from the southeast quadrant.

The group recommended a long‑term station program of about 14,000 square feet — with a larger apparatus bay (3.5 bays), eight bunk rooms, private bathrooms, dedicated contaminated‑gear decontamination zones, shop space and a multipurpose public room for training and preparedness. That program produced a phase‑1 cost range of roughly $15 million (bare‑bones) up to $17–18 million on the high end; those estimates exclude land acquisition, financing, and transition costs, which staff said would be determined in a phase‑2 estimate.

Staff reviewed funding options and reported task force support for a general obligation bond for a project of this scale. Presenters said a bond measure could be ready for a May 2026 ballot at the earliest and that exact bond sizing, financing costs and eligible transition costs would be refined after preliminary plans are prepared.

Councilors praised the task force's work and asked operational questions about call volumes (task force: "just over 900 last year" from the station), ladder‑truck turning radiuses and transition options. Staff outlined short‑term transition approaches — temporary contracting for services, renting nearby space for crews, or staging apparatus nearby — and emphasized more detailed transition planning would come with phase‑2 design work.

Next steps: the task force asked the council to direct staff to hire an architect to produce preliminary plans, engage a cost consultant or builder for a detailed estimate, and further develop community engagement. The council did not take a project funding vote at this meeting; staff will return with refined options in a subsequent phase.