Community Meetings Scheduled on Contra Costa Fire Station Closures

(Bay City News) Fire officials announced this week that meetings have been scheduled in Lafayette, Martinez, Clayton and Walnut Creek next month to discuss fire station closures in those communities.

The meetings will come a month after the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors approved Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Chief Daryl Louder's recommendations to close four stations due to a massive budget deficit.

Stations located at 700 Hawthorne Drive in Walnut Creek, at 6500 Center Ave. in Clayton, at 1240 Shell Ave. in Martinez and at 4007 Los Arabis Ave. in Lafayette are set to close on Jan. 15, fire officials said.

Louder will be joined by members of the fire district's board of directors at meetings in the communities surrounding each station to discuss how the district will work to reduce the impact to those areas after the station closures.

The chief said the closures are needed to close a budget deficit caused by years of falling property tax revenues and the district's rising personnel and operational costs.

The first meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 7 at the Veterans Memorial building at 3780 Mt. Diablo Blvd. in Lafayette.

Meetings will also be held at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 10 at Martinez Junior High School at 1600 Court St. in Martinez, at 7 p.m. on Jan. 22 at Walnut Heights Elementary School at 4064 Walnut Blvd. in Walnut Creek and at 7 p.m. on Jan. 23 at the community library at 6125 Clayton Road in Clayton.