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Driving by on Hwy. 116 i was astonished to see the newly-built gigantic roof.
i have to say this is the biggest fire station roof i've ever seen, but they needed it to support the Christmas tree.
i feel sorry for the people who live west of the station; i'd venture their property values have concurrently plummeted.
Did you see all the Christmas trees torn up across the road from the hydroponic place near there? I'd bet they've been taken out to be replaced by grapes. They didn't even wait to sell them this season.Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by 2Bwacco:
I would really like to see requirements for all building done with the Public's money to be:
Passive solar in design, so that very little energy is needed to heat, cool, and light them.
Have at least some clean energy generation system, especially public safety services buildings; they should have hybrid systems (solar & wind, etc.) with battery back-up.
The cost is not a reason to exclude this, there is no return on the investment of renting power, and the cost of power is always increasing.
Colleen Fernald
sol-solutions.com
Portable Solar Generators
Developers care nothing about growing plants - those that develop vineyards do the same thing with apple trees - they just want to clear the land, get them out of the way. Kinda funny, since everything we do on the planet relies on actively growing vegetation.
Saw the Graton Fire roof for maybe 3 seconds while driving. The peak of the roof looks to be perhaps 50 ft. high. I'll concede it is an attractive architectural roof, but i believe it is over-built. They are building for the future, plus 30 years.
Those of you in your 30's, try to remember this, (i'll probably be passed on) this site will end up being a tasting room, vineyard.
My understanding of the financing of this building is minimal, but I believe they got a loan from U.S.D.A. There are government or public funds involved here.
The humble families living in the shadow of this giant monstrosity, about to be hit with the World War II era air raid siren, who were left with no choice but to go to court to get the siren silenced (new neighbor lacks consideration) must be in a state of shock.
Though i am more than 2 miles away, i heard the siren last night at 7 pm, a single blaring blast. WHY? Even after they represented they had discontinued the noontime siren explosion, i heard it over and over, specifically last week, this week, monday, tuesday, weds., i intentionally listened yesterday, but did not hear it. I suppose they elected to wait and nail folks when they didn't expect it -- at the calm beginning of a restful rainy night in.
I am not jewish, but this is a building in a community with folks of different faiths and Graton Fire chooses a holiday ornament of a Christmas Tree...why not David's Star as well? Equal time here, since building is government, public, community funds?
Colleen,Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by Peace Voyager:
And why should cost not be a reason to exclude all the expensive little requirements you would like to tack on to the price tag for this building? How about a little cost benefit analysis to see what we get for this investment? Is a warm and fuzzy feeling a tangible benefit? If it is public money being spent why not try to be fiscally responsible?
Actually, I would venture to say if the private sector was to build this complex without all the bureaucratic procedures, rules, guidelines, requirements, unnecessary code standards, exorbitant "prevailing" wage requirements, fancy architectural flourishes, and so on laid on by the public sector overseers that the cost could be reduced by a very hefty percentage. The money saved could be spent on things that are really needed like picking up roadkill or maintaining county roads.
warning, warning, thread hijack diversion...
you've pointed out very good considerations; that is what PLANNING is all about. Before Graton Fire tore a single fir tree from the ground they are required to go through the planning process. There were public notices in the newspaper about the financing to be underwritten by the U.S.D.A. (if i recall correctly).
i suspect there is a partnership going on here between a public entity, Graton Fire, U.S.D.A., and the owners, it seems to be extremely complicated, perhaps even a partial interest in the land was sold to Graton Fire, keeping property taxes at Proposition 13 levels. Graton Fire gets a benefit of taxes at 1/10th of today's levels, the owners get a new building constructed at no cost to them, i suspect the owners will use the building after 20 years or so for a tasting room for their vineyard after all the trees have been harvested to benefit the Fire Dept.
Property values surrounding the site will fall (due to the relocation of the siren) and be purchased at bargain prices.
my guess is photovoltaic panels will be mounted on the roof, the alignment does not seem optimal for solar though, they could have maximized southern exposure a lot more. The roof had to be positioned in this manner for attractiveness on the limited acreage. The roof appears to be a lot larger than is needed to provide cover for maybe four fire trucks. Overbuilding with public money?
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by jbox:
Of course, this could have nothing to do with religion, as it is common practice (I did it myself when I built my workshop/playroom) to nail a tree top to the main support beam after it has been raised. Could as well be pagan as anything else.Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by 2Bwacco:
I, for one, am grateful to the many volunteers who put their lives at risk in fire fighting efforts. These individuals are heros in our communities and do this work by choice. It's important that we support each and every person who helps out instead of criticism.
Placing a small tree or evergreen limb at the peak of the roof is not a religious gesture per se. It actually is an old European tradition when erecting timber frame/wooden homes to honor the trees/forest from whence the wood derived and also to bless the home with long life ( similar to how an evergreen tree was brought into the home during the darkest part of the year to symbolize everlasting life/light etc).Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by spam1:
As a carpenter and builder I have done this many times here in the US and in Japan. Very few in the US have really grokked this tradition, but in Japan where Shinto is still a very prominent religion, it was always welcomed and understood.
Hi All,
The Fire District purchased the 9 acre parcel in 2006 from Del Davis; there is no retained ownership by him or anyone else. The District sold as many trees as it could over the last four years before construction began... as you can imagine, we couldn't sell all of them. Once the station is done, we will be planting new seedlings as well.
The District paid for the land with 20 years of savings held specifically for a new station. Approximately 25% of the station is also being paid from this savings and the remaining 75% is a 30-year loan from the USDA; they offered the best financing... 3.75% fixed APR.
If there are more questions, please feel free to attend our board meeting this Tuesday (or any 2nd Tuesday) at 7pm.
Thanks,
Bill Bullard, Deputy Chief
Graton Fire Protection District
3205 Ross Road, P.O. Box A
Graton, CA 95444
mailto:[email protected]
https://www.gratonfire.com
707-823-5515 ext. 3
707-823-7251 fax