Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday joined city commissioners in approving 555 Stoneridge Drive as the location for Fire Station 6.
The location — next to the water tower at Sixth Street and Stoneridge Drive — will help Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical first responders reach people faster on the northwestern edge of town and in the surrounding rural areas.
County commissioners were not legally required to approve the location under the county’s agreement with the city. “But we’ve been working very cooperatively with the City of Lawrence to be at the table, and staff has been a part of this. So we’ve been trying to encourage more of that cooperation,” County Administrator Sarah Plinsky told the commission.
The estimated cost to construct the station is $12.96 million, which would be split with the city paying approximately $8.3 million and the county paying about $4.7 million.
The proposed station will be almost 13,000 square feet and have space for 10 private bunks, four gender-neutral restrooms with showers, a training room, kitchen and dining room and more.
It’s not yet clear how the local governments will fund annual operating costs of the station. Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday approved a 2026 budget that takes one fire engine offline and increases property taxes. Mayor Mike Dever said the city would have to increase the property tax rate again in the future in order to pay for the station and the ongoing costs of public safety in the community.
The station’s design is expected to be completed in 2026, and construction should begin in 2027, according to the timeline given to the commissions. The station should be ready for service in 2028.
Commissioners Patrick Kelly, Karen Willey, Gene Dorsey and Erica Anderson voted to approve the location. Commissioner Shannon Reid was not present for the meeting.
“While we might not be legally required to approve it for our agreement, I appreciate the collaboration on it and learning more about your process,” Kelly told LDCFM and county staff. “To me, it seemed like a very thorough process.”
In other business, county commissioners approved all agenda items, including:
• A memorandum of understanding with Friends of the Senior Resource Center.
The Senior Resource Center for Douglas County will become a department of the county effective Sept. 29. The nonprofit will become a “Friends” organization that will work to support older adults in Douglas County through volunteering and fundraising. See the full MOU at this link.
• Special event permits for Garrett’s Haunted Farm to operate from Sept. 26 through Nov. 3, and for Save Our Soil Kaw Valley Foundation to hold an outdoor concert and Kaw Valley Field Day on Oct. 11.
See the complete meeting agenda at this link.
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Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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