Full Notification

STATION 3 !

A third fire station in Montecito’s east end is on the horizon and I would like to give a little overview and history of the project thus far. Before I do, I would like to introduce myself as your newly appointed Fire Chief.

My name is Chip Hickman. I was appointed to the position of Fire Chief on June 1st of this year. I have 30 years of experience delivering emergency services. My first responder career started on an ambulance in Ventura County followed by six years as a Paramedic in Santa Barbara; I’ve now been a licensed Paramedic for 28 years. In 1990 I started my career with Montecito Fire Protection District as one of its first Paramedic Firefighters. More recently I was the initial Incident Commander on the Tea Fire and was assigned as a Structure Protection Group Supervisor on the Jesusita Fire. I am also on the board of Fire District’s Association of California (FDAC). That is some of my history, but let me get to what I’d really like to talk about: the Station Three project.

The vision of a third fire station on the east end of the district has been a plan of the District’s for more than 20 years. We are committed to protecting you, your property and the environment. We all know that residential growth on the east end is possible, and is already part of the Montecito Community Plan. The District’s mission is to deliver professional and timely emergency services to the current and future needs of the community. The addition of Station 3 addresses the areas in eastern Montecito that do not currently meet our response standards, and supports the community’s long term plan.

Land acquisition will not get any less expensive, more available or less contentious in the future. The extensive site study (Available on our web site www.montecitofire.com) performed by the District in 2007 identified 14 possible sites. Of these 14 properties, there were only two sites that met the majority of essential and desirable criteria; both being on the Jackson Ranch. The proposed location is directly across the street from 2349 East Valley Rd. It is ideal because of location, size and the fact that it has very few neighbors in close proximity. Additionally, this location was the only location that had the closest thing to a willing seller. The parcel is 2.55 acres of a much larger existing parcel. Currently, the property is used as a lemon orchard but has been zoned Residential 2-E-1 for many years.

An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) has been completed and certified for the property. The project has been reviewed by the Montecito Association's Land Use Committee four times prior to going to the Montecito Board of Architectural Review (MBAR). Positive comments were made regarding the design path from MBAR, with Board Member Sam Maphis stating, "I would want this to be an exhibit of how people should design their properties".Our next presentation will be to the Montecito Planning Commission on October 24th.

The challenge we now face is a law suit that has been filed by an entity recently formed by the owner of property directly across the street from the proposed fire station site. The entity is called the “Montecito Agricultural Foundation.” The Foundation’s complaint is that the EIR was procedurally flawed. The District’s counsel feels very strongly that the law suit is without merit and that the EIR was processed properly, and we are more than willing to address any issues if it is determined to need additional attention.

We understand and are sensitive to neighbor concerns regarding views, aesthetics, or diminution in value and want to minimize any negative impacts the introduction of a fire station in that area may cause.

However, the District has experienced these same concerns from neighbors in the past, with both of our other station developments. I am unaware of any neighbor suffering ill effects from our existing fire stations and a few have even expressed to me that they enjoy our presence. Regardless, the law suit exists and it is costing the District tens of thousands of dollars per month to defend the EIR.

Over the past seven years the District’s governing board and staff have put aside the funds to fully pay for the purchase of the land, the estimated construction costs of the fire station, and a new fire engine. It is our intention to absorb its annual costs for maintenance and staffing within the allocated revenues we receive. What this means to you is more service at no additional cost to the tax payer.

Your taxes will not increase and no fees will be assessed to build and equip this new fire station.
The following bullet points address the justifications for the addition of a third station:

• The east end of the District has emergency response times in excess of the 5 minute standard.
• Brain cells start to die without oxygen after 5 minutes.
• Structure fires will develop from an incipient fire to a fully involved single room fire within 4 minutes (see video at www.montecitofire.com). Minutes matter.
• Response time to the Bella Vista area can be as much as 12 minutes currently and would be reduced to 5-6 min. A 6 minute delay could be the difference between an offensive or a defensive approach to a wildland fire.
• It is reasonable to expect a structure fire to be well involved by the time we currently arrive on scene in eastern end of the District. If it can be caught early, it has a greater chance of keeping it to a room and contents fire. A third station would also increase the chance of survivability for the occupants.
• The east end residents would be provided response times equal to the rest of the District.
• Home owners on the east end of the District may benefit from lower insurance premiums due to the closer proximity of a fire station.
• A third station improves overall fire response and protection throughout the entire District by increasing the weight (number of firefighters and engines) and speed of the fire attack.
• A third station reduces our dependency on mutual aid resource assistance by 50% on an initial structure fire response.
• The proposed location would be a much more efficient response to freeway incidents.
• The training component included in the new station is something our District desperately needs. Training is absolutely vital to delivering the best emergency service. Currently we are dependent on privately owned property to accomplish training.
• The size of the property enhances our ability to park and store the equipment needs of the District.

We’d like to hear your opinion on this issue.

Email us at: [email protected]

Or write us:
Station 3 Input
c/o Montecito Fire Protection District
595 San Ysidro Road
Santa Barbara, CA 93108