Mentor Regional Response Facility project approved

A Regional Response Facility is coming closer to construction in Mentor.

The city Planning Commission on March 5 approved the final site plan and architecture of the facility proposed at 6904 Reynolds Road behind Fire Station No. 4.

“I am excited about the regional response project moving forward as I feel we have a well-designed facility that meets our operational needs and a facility that will fit well within the community,” Mentor Fire Chief Robert Searles said.

“The new facility will house several specialized public safety vehicles that are critical to our service delivery in Lake County, as well as serve as a training center and potential command center for large-scale events.”

The city purchased about an acre from Lost Nation Airport to accommodate the 13,000-square-foot building. It will be made of brick and masonry with colors and textures to match the existing fire station.

An 8-foot-high, boardon-board fence is proposed along the northern property line abutting the Farmington Meadows subdivision. A chain-link fence is proposed along the southern line.

The property is zoned C-1 Conservation District, and the project doesn’t meet side and setback requirements of 20 feet. The proposal will require a variance from the Zoning Appeals Board, according to a staff report to the commission.

Along with the Search and Rescue Team, specialized units are to include SWAT, the regional Medical Incident Response Team, regional Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, and the Nuclear Dive and Response Team.

Many of the units that will be housed there were purchased by the city during the past decade and are

The estimated construction timeline, following City Council’s award of a bid, is six to eight months.

being stored throughout the community, some outdoors.

It will not be staffed or require additional employees, Searles said.

The proximity to highways and the airport helped determine the location.

The cost is estimated at $3.2 million, $500,000 of which will come from a Capital Improvement Project Grant from the Ohio Department of Public Safety, awarded in 2017.

Officials had hoped to have the project built last year. However, they had to secure Federal Aviation Administration site approval and airport approval, and conduct wetland surveys and a historical evaluation of the previous structure on the site — old Fire Station No. 4.

“I want to thank the community for their support, and The Lake County Ohio Port and Economic Development Authority, and Lost Nation Airport Manager Patty Fulop for all of their assistance with the land acquisition,” Searles said, noting that Fulop’s assistance with the FAA’s application process proved helpful in getting the project to this stage.

The estimated construction timeline, following City Council’s award of a bid, is six to eight months, he said.

The city administration has been working for several years on a plan for such a facility.

CT Consultants is handling the design phase.

SUBMITTED This is a rendering of the Regional Response Facility to be built at 6904Reynolds Road in Mentor.