Pomona Council cancels land purchase, fire stations will stay open

POMONA - City leaders this week abandoned a fire service reconfiguration proposal meant to save money when they voted to cancel escrow on a piece of land needed for the plan.

City Council members voted unanimously Monday night to pull out of escrow on the 1.84-acre parcel on North Garey Avenue, south of La Verne Avenue.

The land was needed to build a new fire station that would provide service to the areas now served by stations 182 on White Avenue and 186 on Bonita Avenue. Under the proposal the two stations would have closed.

Resident Carol Schlaepfer told council members before the vote that if they were sincere about backing away from the reconfiguration proposal "you are going to make a lot of people very, very happy."

The proposal submitted by the Los Angeles County Fire Department was meant to reduce Pomona's fire service costs by $1.6 million to $1.7 million annually.

To carry out the plan would have involved the city's purchasing the Garey Avenue property for $1.40 million. The land purchase in addition to the cost of building a new station would have brought the total cost of the new station to about $7 million.

Residents who attended two community meetings in May where the proposal was presented objected to it with some expressing concerns the station closures would impact response times.

Other residents objected to the costs associated with the project at a time when the city is having to make profound cuts to balance its budget.

Members of a council budget committee were expected to present a recommendation to the full council to back away from the property purchase at the June 7 meeting. However, the item was moved to this week's meeting to give the council time to review an analysis of the proposal from a consulting firm hired by the city.

The analysis recommended the city accept the proposal.

At the meeting Councilman Freddie Rodriguez said it was good to see residents express their views on the proposal.

He added this is not the time to pursue such a plan nor is there community support for the concept.

"I think it's fair to say don't close anything at this time," Rodriguez said.

A provision in the escrow agreement on the property called for the city to pay the owners of the land $15,000 if it did not close escrow within the first 60 days of entering escrow.

If the city did not close escrow within 180 days the city would have to pay the property owner $60,000.

Redevelopment Director Raymond Fong said that since the city was terminating escrow before July 26 the city will not face any costs.