The Town Council voted reluctantly but unanimously at its Dec. 19 meeting to approve a contract that is $600,000 over budget to construct Fire Station #2 at a new location.

The funding placed in the current fiscal year budget for the project is $3,482,647 and the work was awarded to Danson Construction for $4,058,000. The shortfall will be offset with a transfer of funds from the town’s Capital Improvement Fund.

The town received just two bids for the project, from Danson and Sun Eagle Corporation, which was rejected as non-responsive based on experience with this type of project.

Of the total bid, $187,000 is for off-site street and driveway improvements. EPCOR Water is contributing $93,500 to those improvements because the drive provides access to a water company facility.

Vice Mayor Dennis Brown made the motion to approve, but expressed his displeasure with the architects.

“We don’t need to build a Taj Mahal,” Brown said. “I think we could have dialed this back to keep within budget.

“I support this because it is a life safety issue.”

Brown also noted a shortage of construction workers brought about by disaster recovery efforts in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and now California.

“Hopefully some will want to get out of the cold weather and come here,” Brown said.

He noted that the competition for workers has also increased labor costs.

Councilman Henry Leger said he is also unhappy with the bid.

“This is about public safety and if we don’t approve now the costs will just continue to increase,” Leger said.

The design concept for the new station features a dual structure plan with apparatus bays and firefighters’ dormitory in one building, with a second structure having living quarters and office space along with public facilities including a community meeting room. The structures are connected with a closed walkway.

Due to the proximity of the building site to residential homes the design has a strong residential feel. The public and living space has been sited closest to the neighborhood with the truck bays and dormitory toward the back of the site.

The facility is designed at 9,600 square feet with three truck bays and personal space for six firefighters. There is also office space allocated for use by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.

Fountain Hills Rural/Metro Fire Chief Dave Ott said construction should begin by mid to late January and is expected to be about a nine-month project.

The station site is located on Fountain Hills Boulevard just north of Shea Boulevard, across from the Muskrat Drive alignment. The site was selected in an effort to improve response time to south and western portions of Fountain Hills as well as better balance the call load with Station #1 on Palisades Boulevard.

The disposition of the site of the current facility and property on Saguaro Boulevard south of Shea is undetermined at this time.