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Regular City Council Meeting Monday, November 14, 2011 Page 10 At the request of Councilmember Pust, Mr. Hutson confirmed that those square footages fell within the norms used by other Fire Departments, as well as other fire stations for comparison. Mr. Hutson further reviewed specific site plan features and restraints in using this site, including prairie restoration drainage wetland, maximum grade change (slope); response direction; and minimum distance from Woodhill and Lexington intersections for safety concerns. Having initially considered four (4) different options for the site layout, Mr. Hutson advised that the site plan sketch that worked on this site was the one included in tonight's packet and displayed for public information. Mr. Hutson further reviewed opportunities found on this site, such as noting that the entrances would now face each other; there would be room for a screened training area; day lighting from east to west; a pedestrian connec- tion to the City Campus; and a visual entrance to the City Campus. Discussion among the Design Team members, Chief O'Neill and Councilmem- bers included proximity of the proposed building footprint to Lexington, with the proposed building further back to the west than the current building, yet similar in location of the footprint; rationale in not recommending a connection between parking and drivability between City Hall and the Fire Station based on limited parking for on-duty (first responders) in emergency situations and safety con- cerns; apparatus flow design for right/left turns; support equipment area between the on-duty apparatus and back bays for less frequently used equipment (estimat- ed for use approximately 50 times/year); more separation for active bays from the Woodhill/Lexington Avenue intersection; and how topography was addressed at that intersection and immediately north and south on Lexington Avenue with the building's footprint. Chief O'Neill reviewed the proposed pre-emptive warning devices that first re- sponders would activate for traffic signals at Woodhill Avenue and Lexington Avenue for north/south traffic and east/west traffic at County Road C and Lexing- ten Avenue to manage signal light cycles and traffic. Mr. Hutson further addressed the three-dimensional modeling used for traffic flow and parking, including parking command vehicles at the rear of the building, away from the operational bays, and garage space for them requiring less height clearance and thereby reducing needed volumes and building costs. Mr. Hutson noted that the thirty-four(34)parking stalls available on site were impacted by the building's footprint sited to allow the best turning radius for equipment and on- site safety; with those stalls maxed out for training and callbacks for firefighters; and due to that, the design team was not recommending connecting that parking to the City Hall parking lot in order to keep the fire station parking dedicated to fire- fighters needing to respond quickly to a major callback.