My name is Nora Gambee. Please include in the May edition of the Mountain Times the following statement in support of Measure # 3-625, Hoodland Fire Station #74 Bond.
REASONS FOR VOTING YES ON MEASURE #3-625:
-Clackamas County has generously gifted our district the four acres to build a new building
-Existing building failed the seismographic test
-Earthquake damage to the existing building will in all likelihood render fire fighting equipment trapped and damaged
-Where will the funding come from to replace the damaged equipment?
-The existing fire station site will not accommodate the necessity of current needs and future growth
-Built over 50 years ago, asbestos is in the existing fire station
-The existing fire station site can be sold to offset the bond
-The existing building does not have indoor sleeping quarters for paid staff and volunteers. Temporary sleeping quarters in a rented contractor’s shack does not have restroom facilities, requiring the firefighters to go into the main station, rain or snow
-Only one small shower in existing building
-The cost to house the firefighters and equipment in addition to upgrading the existing station will result in costs nearly equal to those necessary to build a new station on a different site.
-The amount that would be added to our taxes is based on the assessed value of our properties, not the market value
This existing fire station is inadequate for the current and future needs of fire personnel and our growing community. We do not give the fire department a thought until we need them. They are always there for us and ready to help under any circumstances. Our firefighters are our silent saviors. They are people who don’t complain and jump right in when called upon. The board of directors is doing all they can to try and find outside funding to help with the costs of the new station. However, going out for a bond is the only way we can fund this project. The present building is too costly to remodel. I would really like to see support for this effort. This is our community. The fire department is the only governmental agency for miles that gives us support in an emergency.
Nora Gambee, Welches OR
Letter to the Editor: Why our fire station should not be remodeled
Some have asked: “Why don’t we just remodel the existing fire station in Welches?”
It is a fair question and one that Hoodland Fire District (HFD) has carefully considered. The truth is the current station is far beyond what remodeling can fix, and the estimate to attempt it is $17 million.
The building was originally constructed in 1966 and was never designed to house full-time firefighters. Today, our crews sleep in a temporary mobile unit behind the station that doesn’t even have a bathroom. They must walk across the parking lot in rain, snow, or shine to use the restroom or shower. There are no proper decontamination facilities to clean equipment or personnel after emergency calls, putting responder safety at risk.
Worse, the building contains hazardous materials like asbestos, a lack of proper ventilation, and doesn’t meet current seismic safety standards or ADA accessibility requirements. Trying to bring it up to code would cost nearly as much as building a new facility and even then, it still would not solve the biggest issue: the site itself is too small and too narrow to support any meaningful expansion or upgrade.
There is simply no room to grow, no way to reconfigure, and no feasible path to meet the current or future needs of this department and the community it serves.
Instead, HFD is proposing to build a new, modern fire station on a larger, safer parcel — the former Dorman Center/Hoodland Community Park site on Salmon River Road. Clackamas County is prepared to donate the land, contingent on bond approval. The proposed station would include modern living quarters, decontamination and clean air systems, seismic and ADA compliance, and a community room for public meetings.
This station serves a 45-square-mile area from Cherryville to Government Camp, protecting over 6,000 full-time residents and 15,000 seasonal visitors. HFD responds to more than 1,000 emergency calls every year, and demands are ever increasing.
Funding would come from a $19.145 million general obligation bond on the May 20, 2025 ballot. HFD is also actively pursuing additional grants and partnerships to reduce the cost to taxpayers. What will happen to the current station? It is the consensus of the Board of Directors to sell the property. The current market value is $1,630,000.
We’ve asked our firefighters to do more with less for a long time. A remodel isn’t possible. It’s time we gave them the tools — and the building — they need to keep all of us protected and safe.
Please support this vital project. Talk with your neighbors, call us, stop by the station, attend a community meeting, and vote yes, this May.
Terry Niedermeyer
Board Member, HFD
Hoodland Fire Needs Our Support
Seventy-five percent of the fire personnel at Hoodland Fire District are volunteers, which speaks well of the community we live in. These volunteers assist the full-time staff providing great savings to all of us. It would seem that the community should be providing a safe and efficient environment for them to work from.
The current fire station was built in 1966 and has had additions added over the years. Many of the building components need replacement, and asbestos is also an issue if the current building were to be remodeled. Overnight accommodations have been a challenge to provide even though it’s a useful benefit to retain volunteers who cover late night calls. Of course, it’s also a benefit to the community to have quicker response times in off-hours. The current station does not meet seismic standards so emergency services may not be available when we will need them the most.
The Dorman property on Welches Rd is available at no cost to the Fire District. A new station would be constructed on this site while the current station would continue to operate during the construction. The current station and land would then be sold to help reduce the bond once the new station is completed. The Community Garden would continue to be used on the site.
The projected costs of remodeling the existing fire station compared to those of building a new station are very similar. The cost of renting another space to function out of during a remodel would be an additional cost.
Keep in mind that the tax rate Hoodland Fire District is requesting is based on the assessed value of your property, not the Real Market Value (RMV). The assessed value is often less than half of the RMV. Look at your property tax statement and be sure to use assessed value to determine how much you will be paying.
Dennis Ghelfi
Welches
503.622.4369
I would like to speak with you about the article regarding the $450 electric bill for 10 days of service. The article is misleading to the public. That is a rate of $45 a day for power is equivalent to a $1395 power bill for a month of service (31days).
That is definitely an indication there is an electrical issue within the cabin to consume that amount of electricity. I know of two things within that cabin that can cause a high amount of electricity used and they have nothing to do with the rate PGE is charging per kilowatt hour.
Tim Hunt
Hi Matt.
I just wanted to say thank you for such a delightful start to April 1st. What a great job you all did creating the April Fools edition. Just wanted to say thank you.We enjoy your paper, but this was actually very uplifting!
Hollis
CERT, Community Emergency Response Team is asking you to please vote YES for the Hoodland Fire Station Bond.
We are your family, friends, co-workers and neighbors and we call the Mt. Hood Corridor our home. CERT is part of the first responder organization through Hoodland Fire District #74.
Hoodland Fire is one of the only first responder agencies between Warm Springs and Sandy and is responsible for fire, rescue, advanced life support, and emergency medical services covering 45 square miles of protection and safety.
Hoodland Fire employees and volunteers are working 24 hours a day, seven days a week in a sub-standard building that was built decades ago.
1. The building does not have sleeping quarters, forcing the firefighters on shift to sleep outside the building in an old job site shack without bathrooms.
2. Most alarming is the fact the building, inspected by Associated Consultants, Inc., did not pass the seismic safety requirements due to critical weaknesses in the foundation and support structures.
3. Our communities are located in an area prone to earthquakes. In the event of seismic activity, the fire station and equipment may become inoperable, thus incapacitating the first responders on duty at that time. Should any of the bridges between Sandy and Warm Springs fail due to seismic activity, the communities in the Mt. Hood Corridor cannot expect outside first responders or resources in a timely manner.
4. Because the existing building contains asbestos, required repairs cannot be completed due to the exorbitant handling and disposal costs.
5. A new fire station would provide:
a.Properly ventilated building
b. Sleeping quarters with access to bathrooms
c. Location for proper decontamination
d. ADA compliance
e.Drive through bays
f. Compliance with building codes addressing seismic activity
g.Fencing to secure fuel storage, employee parking
h. Public parking for Mt. Hood Express bus stop
i. Continued community garden with shed to store equipment
j. Large training room open to the community free of charge
k. Faster emergency response due to incorporated advanced technologies
The proposed site for a new fire station, Dorman Property, valued at approximately one million dollars, will be donated by Clackamas County provided the bond is approved.
Thank you for taking the time to read CERT’s statement and for supporting your community by voting.
Feleicia Forston & Deb Sintz, Welches OR