Planning commission approves construction of new safety training center building
3,600-square-foot training building and a 43-foot-tall training prop will be made from stacked shipping containers
– The Paso Robles Planning Commission approved an amendment to the planned development for the Union Road Safety Training Center at its most recent meeting. The approval allows for the construction of a new training building and a 43-foot-tall training structure at 2924 Union Road. This addition will be part of the existing Fire Station No. 3.
The original master development plan for the 8-acre site, approved on June 15, 2021, included two phases. Phase 1, which established the training center and Fire Station No. 3, was completed in March. It included site grading, installation of parking areas and driveways, stormwater infrastructure, landscaping, and frontage improvements along Union and Ardmore roads. The second phase of the plan, initially expected to include a police substation, has been revised to develop the city’s public works incorporation yards.
In August, the City Council approved the development of the new City Corporation Yard as part of the second phase. This development includes a utilities and administration building, a fleet maintenance shop, and a landscape maintenance shop.
The amended plan approved by the Planning Commission includes the construction of a 3,600-square-foot training building and a 43-foot-tall training prop made from stacked shipping containers, which can be replaced if individual units are damaged during live fire training exercises, according to the staff report. The Development Review Committee reviewed and recommended the project before it moved forward to the Planning Commission for final approval.
The city’s planning and development staff determined that the previously adopted environmental analysis, which included a mitigated negative declaration, fully covered the impacts of the new training facilities. No further environmental review was required as the project falls within the parameters analyzed in the initial approval. The Planning Commission directed staff to file a notice of determination following the project’s approval.
The fire department included this project in its budget, ensuring funding for the construction of the new facilities.
Click here to view the full staff report.
