Fire District Makes 'Strategic' Purchase Of $4.6 Million Lot Next To Atherton Station

ATHERTON, CA — The Menlo Park Fire Protection District has purchased a residential lot next to one of the district's fire stations in Atherton, district officials announced Thursday. The 39,640 square foot lot with a single story ranch style home was purchased for $4.6 million.

The property is located at 28 Almendral Ave. and is next door to Fire Station 3 at 32 Almendral Ave. The "strategic" purchase increases the land area at the station owned by the district to 50,890 feet and will allow the district to someday build a more functional fire station, district officials said.

The current single bay fire station is a 3,600 square foot building located on an 11,250 square foot lot.

"Fire Station 3 was first built in 1937, or 80 years ago, long before any of the current homes surrounding the station existed," fire officials said in a news release. "The then unreinforced masonry building was moderately damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake and the Fire District was able to rebuild it, along with two other stations, in 1998."

Officials said the purchase was made with cash reserves accumulated to purchase the property.

The fire district has no current plans to rebuild the station, officials said.

“The Fire District has no immediate plans to rebuild a 19 year old Station," Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman said. "We are currently focused on finishing Fire Station 6, in downtown Menlo Park, then rebuilding Fire Station 1 on Middlefield Road and Station 4 on Alameda De Las Pulgas, both of which are over 60 years old. It takes us about 10 years per Station to save and set-aside the funds, then go through the design, planning, permitting and public hearing process before we can even rebuild a new facility."

— Bay City News Service contributed to this report / Image via Menlo Park Fire Protection District