Newport Beach plans to buy a $4-million piece of land on Newport Boulevard to relocate its Lido-area fire station. The City Council voted 6-1 on Tuesday night to approve the purchase of a 17,693-square-foot - 0.4-acre - parcel at 2807 Newport Blvd. to build a firehouse to replace the aging, undersized facility at 475 32nd St.
The 32nd Street fire station was built in 1953 and sits on 11,612 square feet in a mixed-use area with limited onsite parking for fire personnel. Its garage cannot fit the ladder truck, fire engine and two ambulances assigned to the station all at one time, and with street access only from 32nd, it lacks a pull-through for the large ladder truck, requiring firefighters to stand on the street to pause traffic so the truck can back in, Duncan said.
The new site, about 0.3 miles away, can be accessed from three streets: 28th Street and both directions of Newport Boulevard, which runs in the area as one-way stretches separated by a short block.