photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

LDCFM Firetruck Ladder 5 in July 2023.

City commissioners selected a location for a new fire station intended to close critical coverage gaps and improve emergency response times in Lawrence, while noting there would likely be a future mill levy increase to staff the station.

On Tuesday, city commissioners voted unanimously to approve the location for Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical’s new fire station, also known as “Station 6,” at 555 Stoneridge Drive. The idea of expanding a new station to the northwestern portion of the city has long been discussed, but this year has been the first where Station 6 has specifically gone through early design phases.

According to a city memo, fire truck response times to structure fires have consistently exceeded six minutes over the past three years — two minutes longer than the four-minute benchmark set by the National Fire Protection Association 1710 Standard. The department has also considered in the future adding another station.

The total cost for Station 6 is estimated to total $12.9 million. The city and county are planning to split the costs of the project with the city funding 64% and the county contributing 36% — the same split that funds LDCFM operations outlined in the shared governance agreement.

The city’s Capital Improvement Plan lists $1.5 million for Station 6, in 2026, then about $5.4 million and $5.7 million in 2027 and 2028, respectively. But those figures are just for the new station’s construction; they don’t include what it would cost to staff it, which has yet to be determined.

Alley Porter, a city budget analyst, told commissioners the current estimate for what it would cost to fund the operational costs for the station was about $4.7 million. Porter said those costs are estimated to be about 3.25 mills in a property tax increase, but those are early numbers to be taken “with a grain of salt” since there are many assumptions that could change.

One thing that could be subject to change is the funding model between the county and city. For the 2026 budget, Douglas County commissioners approved providing LDCFM with an additional $1.1 million to go towards LDCFM to help maintain EMS service levels and support the addition of a fully staffed ambulance for “Station 6.” This decision was primarily because the City of Lawrence told the department that they would need to meet a target of around $1.5 million in budget cuts.

Acting LDCFM Chief Joe Hardy previously said there was a need for future discussions with the city and Douglas County about how to pay for staffing at Station 6. When city commissioners asked City Manager Craig Owens if discussions with the county were underway, he said they have progressed well and that there is “enthusiasm” for both bodies to find a way to make the station possible.

Details for the building itself were shared Tuesday night. Initially it was estimated to be 16,470 square feet, but has been reduced to 12,983 square feet, in part to stay under budget. The space is expected to include several office spaces, three drive-thru bays, 10 private bunks, four toilets and showers, a kitchen/dining/dayroom and more.

The city plans to complete the design process of Station 6 in 2026 and begin construction in 2027. The fire station is anticipated to be operational in 2028.

The County Commission is also scheduled to vote on the location of Station 6 during its regular business meeting on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in the Douglas County Commission meeting room, 1100 Massachusetts St.