New Bothell Fire Station Starts Construction

Construction has begun on a new South County Fire station along North Road.

Replacing Hilltop Fire Station 22, the Bothell project is intended to improve emergency response and firefighter safety, My Edmonds News reported. The project is expected to be completed by late 2027.

“With the new fire station, we’ve really tried to focus on those details that will help us be most responsive to the community’s needs,” said Fire Chief Shaughn Maxwell in a South County Fire news release cited by My Edmonds News. “That includes a location more accessible to major roads, bedrooms on the first floor, and room for accommodating additional firefighters to meet increasing demand.”

The new station will house up to six firefighters daily — an improvement over Station 22, which, by comparison, houses three. It will be located on 18717 North Road, around a mile from the current facility on 20510 Damson Road.

One of the major reasons for the relocation is due to Station 22’s structural age and potential safety concerns, which the new facility is designed to accommodate.

“This station will provide modern, earthquake-resistant, code-compliant working and living facilities for our firefighters,” Jim Kenny, chair of the South County Fire Board of Commissioners, was quoted as saying. “This is only possible thanks to the support of our community. We will continue working to provide the very best emergency services available.”

An independent assessment in 2016 determined that Station 22 was in poor condition and in need of replacement. Initially built to be a volunteer fire station, engineers doubted it could remain operational following a major earthquake. It was also noted that the station failed to meet current codes in areas such as apparatus bay size, as well as plumbing and HVAC, according to South County Fire.

Firefighter gear and workout equipment is stored in Station 22’s apparatus bay due to the lack of space, causing potential exposure to known carcinogens such as diesel exhaust, said South County Fire. The 2016 assessment also recommended changing the station’s location.

Funding for the replacement facility is part of a bond measure on the Nov. 3 ballot. The measure would replace a total of six aging fire stations, seismically upgrade four stations, and build an additional four stations to meet increasing service demands. The bond would also upgrade other essential emergency response and readiness facilities, according to South County Fire.

The bond would, if approved, cost an estimated $11.32 per month for a home valued at $700,000. This is considered average for South County Fire’s service area, an approximate rate of $0.194 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

Due to Station 22’s critical condition, commissioners chose to move forward with reconstruction, using reserve funds usually reserved for maintenance such as roof repairs or driveway repaving. The bond measure would reimburse the funds.

“There are a lot of needs and we do not want to put this work off any longer,” Kenny said. “It’s our responsibility to make sure we’re there when this community needs us.”