The Planning and Transportation Commission on October 10 approved the demolition of the existing one-story 5,600 square-foot Orange County Fire Authority Station 24 building to make way for the construction of a two-story 14,455 square-foot station to replace it.
Located at 25862 Marguerite and serving Mission Viejo and the surrounding areas, the existing building was built more than 50 years ago by the County of Orange. While the current building only accommodates a crew of four, one truck and a backup vehicle, the new structure will host up to 12 crew members, two bays for fire trucks, one bay for a reserve rig and another bay for a reserve parking area, in addition to numerous new safety features.
The bays for the new station will be approximately the same distance away from surrounding homes as those in the current building, and the existing generator at the site will be replaced with a modern version for a drastic reduction in noise.
Grading is expected to begin in March or April of next year, with construction anticipated to take 14 months. During that time, a modular structure will be placed behind the former SteinMart building to house the temporary station.
