New fire, police stations part of Pullman’s six-year plan

Pullman officials on Monday reviewed the city’s plan for construction projects and department upgrades for the next six years, including the Pullman Fire Department’s goal to construct a new fire station.

The projects are part of the city’s capital improvement program, which was approved today by a committee made up of city councilors Nathan Weller and Eileen Macoll, Pullman Disposal President Devon Felsted and two Pullman planning commissioners, John Anderson and Brent Carper.

One of the most expensive projects scheduled in the next few years is building a third fire station, estimated to cost nearly $8 million. To pay for the project, the city likely will ask residents to vote on a bond.

Fire Chief Mike Heston said his department is looking to build the station on the east side of the city, close to the Washington State University campus, preferably near Airport Road, Terre View Drive or Johnson Road. The department is hoping to obtain at least 3 acres for the new building and is currently working with the university to identify possible locations.

Heston said his department’s goal is to respond to emergencies in four to five minutes. The third fire station will allow his staff to better cover College Hill and any properties on the east side of the city as Pullman expands in that direction.

Fire Station No. 1 is located on South Grand Avenue and Fire Station No. 2 is on the north side of town near the intersection of Terre View Drive and North Grand Avenue.

While it is not part of the current six-year capital improvement program, Heston said the city needs to replace fire station No. 2, which he said is 50 years old and too small for his department’s needs.

The fire department is also working to buy a new brush truck in the next six years to respond to wildland fires. A brush truck is estimated to cost $725,000.

Another planned project likely to be financed by a bond is a new police facility. The new station is estimated to cost $9 million with construction starting in 2023.

According to city documents, the cost to maintain the current facility could soon exceed the cost to build a new one. The department will first complete a needs assessment on the project in the next year.

Another multimillion dollar project is replacing the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system at the Pullman Aquatic Center.The Pullman School District is expected to pay for up to to half the cost of the $2.3 million project. The city could also use money from the American Rescue Plan to pay for the project. Construction is expected to start in 2023.

Projects expected to start in 2022 include constructing a roundabout on Terre View Drive, buying a new generator for the Pullman Fire Department Station No. 1 and the work on multiple flood mitigation projects.

The full list of projects can be viewed at the Pullman Planning Department website at bit.ly/3xCyah7.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.