Oxnard staff seek council approval for new Fire Station No. 3, zoning and CEQA clearance

City planning staff presented a proposal to build a new two-story Fire Station No. 3 at 150 Hill Street and asked the Oxnard City Council to consider a set of land-use and environmental approvals to permit construction.

"Staff has determined that there's no substantial evidence the project will have a significant effect on the environment and recommends that the City Council certify the final IS/MND," said Joe Pearson, Planning Environmental Services Manager, as he summarized the project and related permit requests.

The project would replace the existing one-story station on the .66-acre site and add a two-story living quarters and support spaces alongside a single-story apparatus bay. The living quarters would accommodate up to 11 fire personnel per shift and include separate bunk rooms, restrooms, a kitchen, laundry, dining and dayroom space, an outdoor staff patio and a fitness room. The apparatus bay is sized to house two fire engines and one ladder truck.

Staff described site improvements that include 19 parking stalls (18 standard and one ADA stall), a fueling station for fire apparatus, an earthquake storage building, a hose drying tower, an emergency generator north of the building and a trash enclosure. The proposed building would have a maximum height of about 36 feet with a hose drying tower of about 31 feet and would use metal features, contemporary stucco, dual-glazed windows and composite concrete wall panels on the exterior.

To proceed, staff requested City Council action on four items: certify the final initial study/mitigated negative declaration (IS/MND) prepared under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); approve a general plan amendment to change the site's land-use designation from residential low–medium (RLM) to public/semi-public (PSP); approve a zone change from R2 (multiple-family residential) to CR (community reserve); and approve a zone-text amendment to Oxnard City Code §16-264 to permit additional lot coverage in the CR zone subject to a special use permit.

Pearson noted the CR zone currently limits lot coverage to 25 percent while the proposed project would have approximately 33.6 percent lot coverage. The zone-text amendment would allow that increase only if the City Council adopts the amendment and the Planning Commission approves a subsequent special use permit.

The staff presentation also described the project's CEQA review: an initial study and draft mitigated negative declaration were available for public review from Oct. 27 to Nov. 26, 2025; written comments from agencies and interested parties were addressed in the final IS/MND; and staff is recommending certification. Pearson said notice of the City Council hearing was provided by newspaper, onsite posting and mailings to property owners within 300 feet; he said no public comments had been submitted in support or opposition as of the recording. He also said the fire department held four neighborhood meetings about the project between late 2023 and early 2024.

Pearson told the council the Planning Commission approved the project's special use permit and recommended City Council approval of the remaining items on April 2, 2026 by a 7–0 vote. Based on the staff report and presentation, staff recommended the council conduct a public hearing and adopt resolutions to certify the final IS/MND and approve planning and zoning permit 24-620-03 (general plan amendment), and to approve first readings by title only and waive further reading of ordinances for the zone change (planning and zoning permit 24-570-02) and the zone-text amendment (24-580-03).

No City Council vote or final action on the listed items is recorded in the presentation transcript; the staff recommendation sets the matters for council consideration at a public hearing.