Fire Station 4 Replacement: Design

Announcement

Next Action: Planning & Zoning Commission on July 9, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. The County is requesting a minor zone map amendment to increase the Institutional area designation for Fire Station 4 to 100,234 square feet.

Project typeDesign Development
Project valueTBD: ~4 million has been received by the State of New Mexico over the years to replace Fire Station #4
Project scheduleConstruct and occupy a new fire station in 2026
Contractor nameConsultant: VEGA Architecture

Project purpose and scope

VEGA Architects will work with the County project team in the design development, construction documents, bidding, and construction administration to replace Fire Station 4 which will be sited adjacent to the existing site at 4401 Diamond Drive, Los Alamos. The design will be tailored to the LAFD and maximize familiarity, efficiency, turnout speed, ease of use, and the health and wellbeing of the firefighters.

This project supports the following Council’s Strategic Goals

Primary Goal - Public Safety under Quality of Life. Secondary Goals - Operational Excellence: Effective, Efficient, Reliable Services, and Infrastructure Asset Management. Quality of Life: Health, Wellbeing, Open Space, and Parks. Environmental Stewardship: Natural Resource Protection, Greenhouse Gas Reduction, and Water Conservation.

Why do we need a new Fire Station #4

Why we need a new Fire Station #4?

The existing facility is dated.

1) Built in 1964, this facility was not designed for female firefighters (minimal privacy) or for the larger and much heavier fire apparatus used today. 2) Drainage problems have resulted in water intrusion into the basement area of the existing station. 3) There are no provisions in the building for keeping contaminates that firefighters are exposed to out of their living quarters which poses health issues.

New facility requirements.

The standards for new fire stations that are absent in the existing fire station must include: 1) Proper separation of the truck bay from living quarters. 2) Decontamination room to clean gear and equipment that becomes contaminated on emergency calls. 3) Male and female sleeping, showering, and restroom provisions. 4) Positive pressure HVAC systems in living areas to ensure separation from truck bays.

Former Fire Chief Troy Hughes presented the Fire Station #4 replacement project to the County Council on June 20, 2023. You can watch the presentation below:

Public Meetings & Timeline

Timeline

(Chronological order - earliest to latest)

2025-07-09 @ 5:30 p.m. Planning & Zoning Commission

(REZ-2025-0020): The property owner, Los Alamos County, will request a minor zone map amendment (rezone) of Fire Station 4 and adjacent Open Space. The subject properties, designated as NC2 G and NC2 H, are located within the North Community 2 Subdivision and is zoned Open Space – Passive Open (OS-PO) and Institutional (INS), and are addressed 4401 Diamond Drive and 9999 Range Road. The minor zone map amendment would increase the Institutional (INS) area to 100,234 square feet.

2025-08: Community Development staff will consider the Summary Plat Application

2025-TBD: Planning & Zoning Commission

Planning & Zoning Commissioners will consider the Site Plan

2025-TBD: Design development and construction documents to be completed and put out to bid.

Completed Meetings

Reverse chronological order (most recent to latest).

2025-06-24 Hearing with the Los Alamos County Council: (Case No. CPA-2025-0025 & Resolution No. 25-10)

(Case No. CPA-2025-0020)

The Council approved the P&Z recommendation to approve the County’s application to amend the Los Alamos County Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map, changing two parcels located at 4401 Diamond Drive and 9999 Range Road by Transferring Approximately 18,735 square feet from "Open Space – Passive" to "Institutional.”

(Resolution No. 25-10)

The County Council also adopted Resolution No. 25-10 at the subsequent Public Hearing, same evening, to amend the Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map to change the land use designation of parcels, known as NC2 G and NC2 H, by transferring approximately 18,735 +/- square feet from "Open Space - Passive" to "Institutional."

2025-05-14 Hearing with Planning & Zoning:

(Case No. CPA-2025-0009)

Planning & Zoning Commissioners recommended that the County Council approval the County’s application to amend the Los Alamos County Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map, changing two parcels located at 4401 Diamond Drive and 9999 Range Road by Transferring Approximately 18,735 square feet from Open Space – Passive to Institutional.

2025-03-06 Neighborhood Public Meeting:

The County project team held an in-person meeting regarding the Fire Station 4 replacement project on Thursday, March 6, at 5:30 p.m. in the Fire Department training room on the third floor of the LAFD Administrative Offices at 999 Central Avenue, Los Alamos. The purpose was to share information on the following project before a Minor Zone Map Amendment application and a re-plat application are submitted to the Planning & Zoning Commission:

A request to rezone a portion of the current Open Space - Passive (OS-PO) zone district adjacent to the Fire Station No. 4 property, addressed as 4401 Diamond Drive, to Institutional (INS) zone district, which is intended to accommodate institutional or civic uses, such as schools, libraries, and transportation facilities, and publicly owned lands.

The applications will be considered by the Planning and Zoning Commission in May.

NEIGHBORHOOD-MEETING-FS4-030625.pdf(PDF, 246KB)

Did you miss the meeting? View the PowerPoint slides(PDF, 3MB) and watch the meeting below:

Background on Site Selection

Los Alamos County evaluated three county-owned parcels that met the necessary criteria for the replacement of Fire Station #4. Important factors in site selection included maintaining response times, public land ownership, keeping the existing station operational during construction, relatively flat terrain, access to utilities, and design and cost feasibility.

After three public meetings, feedback through emails from interested individuals, and a community survey, the overwhelming opinion was to rebuild at the current location, 4401 Diamond Drive.

In November 2024, the County Council approved this recommendation. For more details, visit the Fire Station 4 Replacement: Site Selection project web page.

last updated: 2025-06-25

Contact details

Project Manager Sobia Sayeda

505-662-8150

lacpw@lacnm.us

Location

4401 Diamond Drive, Los Alamos, NM 87544 View Map

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