The Town Council last week told staff it needs a lot more information before making a decision on where to relocate Fire Station No. 2.

The council told Town Manager Ken Buchanan to go ahead and discuss a land trade with MCO Properties that would provide an additional option for the council to consider if it ultimately decides to relocate the station.

Any agreement for a land swap would require council approval.

MCO Properties owns a parcel of land on Fountain Hills Boulevard just north of Shea across from Muskrat Drive.

At the time of plat approval the town was deeded a lot on Mountain Parkway within the gated Eagles Nest subdivision to use as a possible site for a fire station.

The two lots have the same R1-43 (one home per acre density) zoning and nearly the same value based on a reported appraisal done 18 months to two years ago, which is now outdated.

Vice Mayor Tait Elkie said the town should go forward with the land swap independent of its decision on the fire station.

He said the town land in Eagles Nest is of no use to the town because it will not be used for a fire station and it cannot be used for anything else.

He said the property on Fountain Hills Boulevard would give the town other options if it decides not to locate the fire station there.

The council is asking its Public Safety Advisory Commission to assist in comparing the potential trade site on Fountain Hills Boulevard and a location within the Shea Boulevard right of way that could be used for a station.

Councilman Henry Leger said there are many questions that still need to be addressed before the council can decide which site to use if it wants to relocate the fire station.

Those questions deal with costs related to infrastructure and design and construction.

Mayor Linda Kavanagh asked Fire Chief Randy Roberts if he knew what the cost of connecting the sewer line to the Shea Boulevard property would be.

Roberts said he had discussed the item with Sanitary District Manager Ron Huber and was told only that it would be “expensive.”

Leger said that is the type of question that needs a specific answer.

He also said he is interested in knowing the design costs. There is already a prepared design for the Shea Boulevard location. That was done to prepare for a possible FEMA grant in 2009.

Leger said he wants to know whether the existing design is adaptable to the Fountain Hills Boulevard site, and what additional cost there might be to modify the plans.

The construction estimate for the Shea site was just over $2 million and the town has included $2.1 million for the project in its five-year Capital Improvement Plan.

The council also wants to vet the site proposals with the public, particularly neighbors along Fountain Hills Boulevard. There would be five or six homes within 300 feet of the new fire station, and the council wants their input.

Roberts said the Fire Department has always strived to be good neighbors and said that complaints have been near zero in the history of the existing locations.

Staff has urged the council to consider relocation of Fire Station No. 2 for a number of years.

The current site near Shea and Saguaro boulevards does not allow Rural/Metro to meet national response time standards that are included in the contract with the town.

Those standards call for a response within five minutes for priority any emergency call 90 percent of the time.

Roberts said that either the Shea Boulevard or Fountain Hills Boulevard properties would improve response times and coverage.

Once the staff, with the help of PSAC, has compiled the information it will return to the council with a report and recommendation. The council could then make its decision whether to build the new station and on which site.

At this time there has been no discussion regarding any other potential locations. An earlier study had indicated one or two other locations, but those have since been removed from consideration.