The project to replace Fire Station No. 1 downtown is under way
with seismic trenching at the location since last week, but the
project was delayed slightly when a contractor hit sand,
necessitating a wider trench, said William Avera, development
services director.
The project to replace Fire Station No. 1 downtown is under way with seismic trenching at the location since last week, but the project was delayed slightly when a contractor hit sand, necessitating a wider trench, said William Avera, development services director.
The Hollister Redevelopment Agency is overseeing the $5 million project to replace the fire station.
The city is required to do the seismic testing by state law because the site is within the Alquist-Priolo fault zone, Avera said. The future courthouse site is within the same zone, which is why there also was a required trenching last year for that project at the old Fremont School.
Crews working on the trenching, which is recommended at about 17 feet deep, hit sand when they started the job. It led to the need for a wider trench, causing the delay.
Avera said he expects crews to finish the seismic testing work by the first part of next week. From there, the contractor will cover the trench and submit a report on the trenching, which the city’s geologist will review, he said.
“Assuming we don’t find anything, which we don’t expect to find because it’s on the outer edge of the zone, we’ll take that information and send it up to the state,” he said.
The RDA contracted for the seismic work with Earth Systems, which hired a subcontractor. The cost for the trenching is estimated at $130,000.
From here, construction drawings will be done, while Avera hopes to have the construction out for bids in the fall. Originally, the bids were scheduled to go out in December, but officials want to shorten that time frame. Construction should last about 18 months.
