On Tuesday, the Brentwood Planning Commission unanimously voted to deny an application for a Downtown Fire Station.
The commission first took up the item in March, however, the 5-hour conversation quickly went sideways with commissioners going out of their lane on design review and instead made several request of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District– likely costing hundreds of thousands of dollars to complete, and further delay potential construction – thus costing taxpayers more money.
At the March meeting, the Brentwood City Attorney had advised the commission that under case law, CEQA discussion was limited in design review. The commission, however, had requested Contra Costa County Fire provide a traffic study, a noise study, air quality study, and an understanding of ADA—they also questioned whether fire engines could easily make the turn into the station.
For Tuesday, city staff recommended approval of the design review per the staff report, however, after public comments, the Planning Commisison spent nearly 90-minutes highlighting how staff was wrong. Ultimately, in a 4-0 vote, with Jeremy Jones recusing himself, the planning commission denied the design review application under the following reasons:
- The proposed development does not create a well-composed urban design. The massing is too bulky for the site and the architectural structure does not relate harmoniously to the other structures in the immediate downtown area.
- The proposed building would not compliment the existing buildings in the downtown area due to its size and brick composition. The size, bulk, and scale do not reflect the agricultural character of the area.
- The proposed project is not complimentary to the surrounding downtown and would not protect the value of the surrounding area.
- The proposed development shall conform with all requirements for landscaping, screening, parking, useable open space and off-street loading as set forth in this title.
Commissioner Anita Roberts called the report in their packet “biased” claimed it didn’t answer any of their questions. She called the location of the fire station not zoned accurately.
“Being bullied or threatened which is how I took that document, doesn’t work for me,” stated Roberts. “We are a governing body that is here representing the residents, I being one of them, in making good decisions. Without information, I will not rubber stamp anything that comes before me. I will not be bullied and I will not be threatened.”
She called the infill exemption “subjective” while questioning if the fire departments application jumped other applications in the queue.
Commissioner Gerald Johnson called it disappointing they have gotten this far down the road without a solution that would meet the fired apartments needs while satisfying the veterans.
Commissioner Kristopher Brand questioned the compatibility with the downtown Brentwood Specific Plan. He also had concerns over the fire department supplemental equipment at a station from generators to fuel tanks. He still believed they needed a Conditional Use Permit based on equipment on the ground level of the facility. He also had concern over parking.
Brand also questioned the lack of trees in the parking lot of the fire station while other lots have trees on all sides—noting the fire station has a bare parking lot with no vegetation.
Brand also said they were overlooking the ground floor contained an exercise gym which was an itemized requirement. He called it “wiggleroomy” for a defined use and saw the need to review the compliance.
He further continued with concerns over firefighters housing upstairs and questioned the overnight stay as that of a hotel – he called it a mismatch because firefighters do not accept a fee. He called it a hotel vs. upstairs housing. He called it too much “gray area” with the proposal and interpretations of the documents.
Commissioner Rod Flohr shared several concerns with the project and took nearly 30-minutes to address them.
The planning commission then denied the application in a 4-0 vote. With the denial, there is now a 10-day appeal period which anybody could appeal this decision which would then go to the Brentwood City Council.
PREVIOUS INFORMATION + Staff report
According to the staff report:
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission adopt Resolution No. 25-004, approving DR 24-013, subject to certain findings and conditions. This recommendation is consistent with staff’s original recommendation for the March 18, 2025 meeting.
Staff has determined that the project qualifies as a Class 32 categorical exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”, codified at Public Resources Code §§ 21000, et seq., and further governed by the State CEQA Guidelines, found at 14 CCR §§ 15000, et seq.) Guidelines Section 15332 (In Fill Development Projects), insomuch as the proposed fire station is consistent with the applicable General Plan designation, as well as with the applicable zoning designation and regulations, is proposed on a project site less than 5-acres in size, has no value as habitat for endangered species, would not result in significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality, and can be adequately served by all utilities and public services.
If approved, the station would be located in downtown Brentwood at 739 First Street. The station would be a 8,137 square foot, two-story fire station, including two apparatus bays, living areas, and associated site improvements, on a 13,427 square foot parcel.
The staff report also acknowledges CONFIRE submitted two letters:
- On March 27, 2025, the City received a letter from the applicant (see Attachment 4). In its letter, the applicant states that “…the Planning Commission’s determination that additional studies are required is outside the scope of the design review process…” As staff indicated during the March 18, 2025 meeting and as further explained in this report below, the project is not required to obtain such additional studies because the only discretionary approval required is a Design Review permit. There is no evidence of unusual environmental circumstances that would require additional studies for this permitted use. As a result, the applicant did not provide the studies identified by the Planning Commission and instead requested to be placed on the soonest available Planning Commission meeting agenda.
- On April 23, 2025, the applicant submitted a second letter (dated April 21, 2025) to the City responding to some of the questions that were brought up as public comment during the March 18, 2025 meeting. Additionally, and despite no legal requirement to do so, the applicant submitted a technical memorandum, dated April 23, 2025, from a third party CEQA consultant (the ICF Memorandum, attached hereto as Attachment 6). This Memorandum evaluated air quality, traffic, and noise impacts related to the project.
Previously, the fire station served the Brentwood Fire Protection District in 1929. The station had been open until 2014 when it was placed out of service by the East Contra Costa County Fire Protection District due to budget constraints. By 2022, after annexation, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District demolished the station to prepare for construction of a new proposed fire station.
According to the staff report, the Downtown Specific Plan was adopted on November 16, 2005, and subsequently amended in 2014, 2016, and 2017. The project site is located within the Downtown Core zoning district, which allows fire stations as a principally permitted use.
The plans propose an approximate 8,137 square foot two-story building (with two apparatus bays), nine on-site parking spaces, landscaping, storm water treatment areas, a solid waste enclosure, lighting, and utilities. The apparatus bays will house a Type I engine and Type III engine, but no ladder trucks. Fire engines would only enter the site from Diablo Way, along the rear property line, and exit onto First Street. Pedestrian access would be from First Street. The proposed plans depict nine on-site parking spaces for CCCFPD employees; including one handicap accessible space. The proposed solid waste enclosure would be located along, and serviced from, Diablo Way.
Editors Notes
From Contra Costa County Fire: There has been some misinformation spread about whether a fire station is still compatible with a denser downtown… Facts about incoming Station 94:
- Station 94 is in the perfect location to address the needs of the majority of Brentwood. Contra Costa Fire has mapped the density of calls for service in East County, and the largest, densest area of need is around Downtown Brentwood, exactly around the planned Station 94 site. The second-highest density of calls is in West Brentwood and is well served by Station 92.
- Station 94 will be built on property owned by Contra Costa Fire, while the Brentwood Veterans Memorial Building at 757 First Street will continue to operate fully on County-owned land that the veterans groups lease for $1 per year. This arrangement will not change; the veteran groups and other nonprofits who use the Brentwood Veterans Memorial Building will continue to have full use of the buildings and their wheelchair-accessible ramp.
- Fire responses from Station 94 will not interfere with outdoor special events, parades or farmers markets in Downtown Brentwood. Station 94 will have Type I and Type III fire engines, which are smaller and more maneuverable than ladder trucks. Contra Costa Fire drivers are specially trained, and fire and ambulance responses downtown currently have no navigational issues. Contra Costa Fire operates out of similar downtown areas throughout the County, such as in Concord and Walnut Creek.
- Locating Station 94 on First Street is the best use of taxpayer dollars and the fastest way to build a station in Brentwood’s highest area of need. Building a station on land that Contra Costa Fire already owns saves taxpayers millions of dollars and potentially years of delays to search out and purchase a new parcel and complete new environmental reviews.
- 1928 – Longtime residents will remember that multiple fire departments have used a fire station at 739 First Street, beginning with the Brentwood Fire District in 1928
- 1957 – Fire Station constructed.
- July 1, 2012 – Fire Station closed due to budget cuts.
- May 1, 2013 – Fire Station Reopens thanks to a SAFER Grant obtained by ECCFPD. At the time, the average response time of ECCFPD was between 7:10 minutes to 7:32 minutes per call.
- Nov 18, 2014 – SAFER Grant Ended – station closed.
- May 2015 – ECCFPD moves to a 3-station fire service model. Closing Station 54 and the Knightsen Station: Since this time, when Station 52 (Balfour) is on a call, nearly 70,000 people are waiting on an engine from either Oakley or Discovery Bay. Prior to annexation, the average response time was nearly 7:30 minutes. In July 2022, annexation allowed Antioch engines and sometimes Pittsburg engines to respond when needed.
- The closure of Station 54 downtown left the City of Brentwood with only one fire station (Station 92 at 201 John Muir Parkway) that now serves over 65,000 residents across nearly 15 square miles. When compared to Oakley (two stations serving more than 45,000 residents across 16 square miles), Antioch (four stations serving 117,000 residents across 29 square miles) and Discovery Bay (one station for 15,000 residents in 7 square miles), it is clear that fire protection and EMS services in Brentwood need a major boost.
- July 1, 2022 – ECCFPD is merged into Contra Costa County Fire Protection District — ensuring all CONFIRE resources now available without aid agreements (see story)
Previous Stories:
- March 19 – Brentwood Planning Commission Punts Decision on Downtown Fire Station
- Feb 2025 – Op-Ed: Downtown Brentwood Fire Station Will Return Life-Saving Services, Upgrades Veterans Hall
- Feb 2025 – Supervisors Get Update on East County Service Center, Youth Centers
- Oct 2024 – Letter: Veterans Issue Statement on Brentwood Veterans Memorial Building
- Jan 2024 – Brentwood Gets Update on Two Future Contra Costa Fire Stations
- Oct 2023 – Burgis: New Fire Stations Will Make Brentwood Safer
