Sep. 3—The renovation of San Rafael Fire Department Station 54 has been delayed because of wall moisture and other factors.
The project at 46 Castro Ave. in the Canal neighborhood is part of the second phase of San Rafael's major essential facilities upgrades. The effort, which is costing approximately $8.9 million, also included the renovation of Station 55 at 955 Point San Pedro Road this summer.
Severe weather in Marin County this winter forced construction delays. When the rain ended, the construction team discovered water intrusion in the building, said Fabiola Guillen, a project manager with the public works department.
"Investigations showed a defective installation of the stucco system," Guillen said. "The contractor is in the process of replacing the stucco system to provide a compliant installation."
There were also unforeseen complications, Guillen said. The apparatus bay set to be salvaged and retrofitted had been settling significantly for decades. This required the removal and replacement of the concrete slab and extensive structural repairs to the columns and beams, she said.
"These items were not shown on any of the preliminary soils and structural investigations," Guillen said.
The City Council approved a $450,000 budget adjustment in October to account for that extra work. Construction was supposed to be completed this spring. Now, it's not expected to be done until the fall.
Meanwhile, the Station 54 truck company has been housed at Station 52 on Union Street near San Rafael High School since construction began in January 2022.
This is a problem, said John Bagala, union president of Marin Professional Firefighters Local 1775.
"Closing or relocating a fire station is no small task, and relocating an apparatus could have significant impact," Bagala said.
Bagala said officials were wise to set up temporary quarters, including a double-large sleeping trailer and office trailer on site at Station 55 until the crew was able to occupy the building in March. They chose not do the same at Station 54, he said.
"When there's a delay in construction, the operations impacts go on as well," he said.
San Rafael officials did not provide a response to whether fire service has been affected in the Canal area because of the relocation of the truck company.
"At the end of the day, everybody wants it done right, and make it so people are able to inhabit those spaces for years to come," Bagala said.
After firefighters moved into Station 55, a test of the stucco showed minor repairs were needed, said April Miller, director of public works. The on-duty crew was not displaced during the work.
Although the building was ready to be inhabited in March, the site improvements, including repaving, striping, parking stall lining, curb and gutter work and exterior lighting, were completed in July.
Stations 54 and 55 were built in the 1960s and required a series of upgrades.
The wood-framed single-story living quarters at Station 54 were demolished and rebuilt. The project added a second story to elevate the living quarters above the flood zone. The new space features an elevator, accessibility upgrades, a new gym, a kitchen and separate sleeping and restroom space for male and female staff.
The wood-framed apparatus bay at Station 55 on Point San Pedro Road received a seismic retrofit. The living quarters were demolished and rebuilt, but in a single-story structure. The project added an onsite emergency generator.
The projects were paid for with sales tax funds from Measure E, which was approved in 2013.
In April 2019, Station 52 was the first of three renovations to be completed as part of the first project phase.
Station 57 near the Marin County Civic Center was completed in November 2019. Construction there was delayed about five months after the discovery of unsuitable soils, which raised the project cost from $12 million to $13.4 million. Despite the setback, the overall project stayed within the $73 million budget, the city said.
City firefighters and police moved into the $36 million public safety center at Fifth Avenue and D Street in 2020 after about two years of construction.
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