THE BRENTWOOD CITY COUNCIL approved plans for a new downtown fire station, ignoring the planning commission’s recommendation to deny the project.
The 3-2 vote followed a months-long land-use controversy that pitted firefighters against veterans, who said Station 94 — proposed for 739 First St. — should be built elsewhere, not on land designated for veterans’ use.
The original project plan abuts the Brentwood Veterans Memorial Building on First Street and would absorb the storage area used by the veterans. Multiple letters and public speakers further expressed concerns about the loss of ADA-accessible parking near the veterans hall.
While the amended resolution approved by the council included conditions to address concerns — including a guarantee of three ADA-compliant parking stalls, along with a comparable storage site for exclusive veterans hall use — Mayor Susannah Meyer and Councilmember Jovita Mendoza voted to deny the project. They expressed concerns about the project’s design, environmental and economic impacts, and problems associated with adding emergency vehicle traffic to the busy downtown area.
Aiming to replace the historic station that closed on First Street in 2014 before it was demolished in 2022, the project application for a new station was initially proposed by the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District in September 2024. The Brentwood Planning Commission denied it last month, but Councilmember Tony Oerlemans filed a call for review to bring it before the Council for consideration.
The veterans have taken issue with Contra Costa County over the matter — in particular Supervisor Diane Burgis for her part in advocating for the station. The vets say the land was originally purchased using a special tax, approved in 1922, that’s intended to be used for veterans memorials and meeting places. In its capacity, the city can only review the design, as it does not have the authority to enforce state laws, according to the staff report.
Fire Chief Aaron McAlister explained that the station, which replaces the one that closed in 2014 at that site before it was demolished in 2022, would help improve response times and relieve Stations 92, 93, 95 and 99 by serving more than 12,000 addresses.
“The residents of Brentwood would see an immediate benefit from opening this fire station,” McAlister said.
Todd Matthews, a 20-year Brentwood resident, noted the old station was removed 10 years ago due to deteriorating conditions.
“The district followed every step of the city’s process, worked closely with staff and met all design requirements, yet the planning commission still denied the project — not because it was unsafe or unnecessary but simply because some don’t want a fire station downtown,” Matthews said.
Opponents repeated a “yes to the station — no to the location” slogan, calling for the station to be built at a site on Sand Creek instead.
Lynn Tay, a member of the Downtown Brentwood Coalition, shared the results of a survey of the downtown business owners, noting that 63% of respondents expressed worries about a fire station near the busy area.
“Brentwood is much more populated than when the fire station closed in 2014,” Tay said.
Mike Meyokovich, senior vice commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10789, urged the council to uphold the Planning Commission’s recommendation to deny the project.
“This is not about denying public safety. It’s about placing vital services where they (can) best serve the community, while still honoring the city’s long-term plans,” Meyokovich said. “It is also about protecting land that was dedicated to veterans — land that holds meaning, memory and respect for all those who have served and that commitment must not be overlooked.”