The Town of Fountain Hills has received eight responses to its request for qualifications from architects to design the planned new Fire Station #2.

Staff is currently reviewing those submittals in preparation for awarding a design contract.

Town Development Services Director Paul Mood said they will be scoring the proposals and narrowing the field down to two or three firms they will interview. A selection will be made and a contract negotiated.

The council will have final say on awarding the contract and it should be before council by the end of February, according to Mood.

The town is seeking to relocate its current Fire Station #2, which is on Saguaro Boulevard south of Shea. A new site has been selected on Fountain Hills Boulevard just north of Shea.

Fire Department officials say the relocation is needed to address seriously lagging response times, as well has help balance the call volume between Station #1 on Palisades at Avenue of the Fountains and Station #2.

Design elements that will be integrated into the facility include a single story building with three apparatus bays. The equipment to be housed at the site would include a standard pumper engine, a brush truck, rescue/ambulance vehicle and a back-up pumper.

The building will be designed to accommodate a staff of six firefighters.

A retaining wall will be needed along the north side of the site where they anticipate the driveway will be constructed. The driveway will provide a shared access for EPCOR Water to reach facilities it has behind the fire station site.

Staff will be looking at sustainable construction methods and energy efficient design within budget constraints.

Town and fire officials have been talking with neighbors during open house sessions about resident concerns. This is a low density residential neighborhood with the nearest home approximately 150 feet from the new building.

Issues concerning noise and potential traffic problems are on the list of items neighbors have brought up. The most recent meeting was held Jan. 6.

Items staff has indicated it will work on includes a design that blends well with residential structures and no external radio speakers. No emergency lights or sirens will be used except when responding to an emergency at which time it is required by law.

Fire officials estimate the station will have four to six emergency responses per day.

At this time traffic engineers say the 11,000 vehicle per day traffic volume probably does not warrant a traffic control signal. However, they will be looking to integrate some type of traffic warning device to warn motorists of emergency traffic.

The town has budgeted $3.6 million for the project from Capital Improvement Funds. Actual cost is anticipated at somewhat less than that.

A current schedule calls for architect selection by the end of February. Design work is expected to carry through the summer with the construction bidding process to take place in the fall.

It is anticipated that construction can begin early in 2017 with completion around the end of that calendar year.