Valley Focus : Fire Station Site Proposal Hits Snag

Los Angeles Fire Department officials are still investigating whether the first of two proposed fire stations can be built to increase emergency response times throughout the region.

But complications could impede the effort, said city Fire Department Planning Chief Emile Mack.

One of the potential sites is in Panorama City at the retail-industrial development project underway on the site of the former General Motors assembly plant. The site, however, has not been formally approved.

“The city needs to be assured the site doesn’t have contamination,” Mack said.

City officials also are looking into other Panorama City sites--one on Vesper Avenue and two on Van Nuys Boulevard.

The goal is eventually to build stations at two of these four sites to replace overburdened Fire Station 81 in Arleta.

But before the Fire Department receives the $1.1 million currently available in the city’s annual budget for construction of the first station, officials must draw construction plans, Mack said. He said this is not easy without a site.

The plans must be started by the end of this month or early October or the budgeted money probably will be forfeited until next year. That would require planners to reapply for the funds.

“We’re working very quickly on this,” Mack said.

Even if the deadline passes and the funds are lost for the time being, “then we’d have more time to get these [location] issues resolved and obviously be well ahead of the deadline for the next fiscal year.”

Northeast Valley residents experience some of the longest response times in Los Angeles--on average about two minutes longer than desirable, Mack said.