HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 09112012 - C.119RECOMMENDATION(S):
ADOPT Resolution No. 2012/368 which would designate the Bethel Island Fire Station as a building of historic
significance, as recommended by the Contra Costa County Historical Landmarks Advisory Committee; and REFER
the approved designation to the Contra Costa County Historical Society for inclusion in the County Historical
Resources Inventory.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The applicant is responsible for all costs associated with this nomination.
BACKGROUND:
On July 11, 2012, staff received an application for nomination of the Bethel Island Fire Station within the Bethel
Island area, as a building of historical and architectural significance, to the County Historical Resources Inventory
(“HRI”). The application was submitted by the Bethel Island Municipal Advisory Council (BIMAC) through Ms.
Christine Thresh. The East Contra Costa Fire Protection District is the owner of the Fire Station and Fire Chief Hugh
Henderson has submitted a letter in support of the nomination request. The subject property is located within the
100-year floodplain boundary as determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and is subject
to the County Floodplain Management Ordinance.
The existing Fire Station is in disrepair and was closed on July 1, 2012, due to budget issues. To complete any of the
needed improvements and repairs to the building, the Fire Station would need to be elevated above the floodplain,
APPROVE OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
Action of Board On: 09/11/2012 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
Clerks Notes:
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
AYE:John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II
Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III
Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV
Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V
Supervisor
Contact: Christine Louie,
925-674-7787
I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the
Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: September 11, 2012
David Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
By: Stacey M. Boyd, Deputy
cc: Bethel Island MAC c/o Christine Thresh, East Contra Costa Fire Protection District, Historical Landmarks Advisory Committee
C.119
To:Board of Supervisors
From:Catherine Kutsuris, Conservation & Development
Date:September 11, 2012
Contra
Costa
County
Subject:Designation of the Bethel Island Fire Station located at 3045 Ranch Lane in the Bethel Island Area as a Building of
Historic Significance
pursuant to the requirements of the County Floodplain Ordinance. The inclusion of the Fire Station building in the
HRI would allow it to be considered as a historic structure, and qualify for an exception to the requirement of the
County Floodplain Ordinance to raise the building above the floodplain. To save the building and make it functional
once again for use as a fire and emergency service station to the Bethel Island community, a request to nominate the
building to the HRI was filed.
BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)
HISTORIC INFORMATION:
Based on the information submitted by the applicant, the Fire Station is stated to be one of the oldest structures on
Bethel Island. The Fire Station is comprised of a Quonset hut metal building constructed circa 1951 with a
flat-roofed masonry addition along the front of the Quonset hut. According to Waymaking.com website, a
Quonset hut is a lightweight prefabricated structure of corrugated galvanized steel having a semicircular cross
section. The design was based on the Nissen hut developed by the British during World War I. The name of the
architectural style of the building comes from their site of first manufacture, Quonset Point, at the Naval
Construction Battalion Center in Davisville (a village located within the town of North Kingstown, Rhode Island,
USA).
According to the applicant, the origin of the Quonset hut structure is either from Camp Parks or Camp Stoneman,
which are military bases located in Contra Costa County and Alameda County, respectively. The existing
building was constructed by the Bethel Island Firemen’s Club Volunteers and a local contractor after it initially
blew down in 1951. The site where the Fire Station stands was in the place of an earlier building that was also
built by the Firemen’s Club. The construction of the Quonset hut enabled the storage of a fire engine on the site,
which had been stored at a different location. The Fire Station was not only a place to store the fire engine and
serve the volunteer fire staff, but was also a community center where the growing island community would obtain
news and first aid.
The Quonset hut building is an example of a prefabricated shelter system developed in 1941, which was originally
designed to provide housing for troops during WWII. After the war, many of these buildings were converted to
various civilian uses. The applicant’s report identifies Quonset huts in West Palm Beach, Florida that have been
added to the National Register, and that the City of Santa Monica has added a Quonset hut building to their local
HRI.
The Bethel Island Fire Station is locally known to be an important early community building, and the first
permanent fire station in Bethel Island that housed a fire engine. In addition, the building is an example of military
architecture of WWII, and an example of adaptive reuse of military structures for civilian uses.
HLAC ACTION AND DISCUSSION:
On August 9, 2012, the Historical Landmarks Advisory Committee approved the nomination filed by the BIMAC
for the historical designation of the Bethel Island Fire Station as a building of historical and architectural
significance.
Prior to the meeting, the BIMAC provided the HLAC with an informational packet that included historical
information, maps, and photos on the proposed historical building. After presentations from Ms. Christine Thresh
and HLAC staff, and reviewing the submitted material, the HLAC voted to approve the nomination and
recommend to the Board of Supervisors that the Bethel Island Fire Station be designated as a historical resource
and placed on the County’s Historical Resources Inventory.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If the building is not placed on the HRI, it will not be eligible for historic building code alternatives that apply to
improvements to the building, and the integrity of the architectural design may be impacted.
CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:
Not appliable.
CLERK'S ADDENDUM
Speaker: Christine Thresh, Bethel Island Muicipal Advisory Council.
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution No. 2012/368
Nomination Packet
Site Maps