September 28, 2022

To:   Craft Avenue Residents and the El Cerrito/Kensington Community

Re: El Cerrito-Kensington Fire Dept Temporary Station 65 – Construction Notice

Dear Craft Avenue Neighbors and Community Members,

The general contractor for the El Cerrito-Kensington Fire Department has prepared the UUCB parking lot at the end of Craft Avenue to receive the modular building which will house your firefighters during the seismic renovation of the Public Safety Building at 217 Arlington Ave. The modular delivery company will transport the prefabricated building in two halves to the site this Friday, 9/30/2022, beginning at 9:00AM and finishing by 4:00PM. No Parking signs have been posted to accommodate the width and turning radius of each of the two trucks making the delivery. We understand this is an inconvenience to you and appreciate your patience during this setup time.

Following the delivery of the modular building on Friday, there will be a delivery of materials for the metal carport structure that will house the two fire engines. That will occur on Monday, 10/03/2022, after 9:00AM. Since that delivery involves smaller trailers, we do not believe restricted parking will be required, but if it is possible to avoid parking in the street during that time, it would certainly be helpful.

The PSB renovation is scheduled to begin on 10/17/2022 so the Temporary Station 65 will be functional by that date. The general contractor for the project is contractually required to complete the project within 18 months, but the preliminary schedule shows a slightly earlier date. We are hoping to move out of the temporary location and back into the PSB in the Spring of 2024. As one of the three Fire Stations (65, 71, and 72) serving El Cerrito and Kensington, the new building will provide you with reliable services in the event of disaster by ensuring that the building can withstand seismic forces and has the space required to house the increasing number of emergency personnel on Red-Flag days, now and into the future. Information on the renovation project is available online at: https://www.kensingtonfire.org/public-safety-building

Please contact me directly via email at bhansell@kensingtonfire.org with any questions about the temporary station or the PSB seismic renovation. If you have general non-emergency fire service questions, please call the El Cerrito-Kensington Fire Department administration office at: 510-215-4450. For any emergency issues, please call 911.

Very truly yours,

Bill Hansell, General Manager
Kensington Fire Protection District