A property-tax levy to bring city fire stations up to current seismic codes doesn’t usually generate much controversy. Voters typically consider fire stations, like schools, essential public facilities whose occupants should be safe in an earthquake.
But in Bellevue, one part of a 20-year, $120 million fire facilities levy on the November ballot calls for a new downtown station to ensure rapid response times for all the new high-rise office and apartment buildings in the commercial center.
Last month, the city sent notices to six property owners in the Northtowne neighborhood, a single-family area immediately north of downtown at 112th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 12th Street, alerting them that the city planned to acquire their land for the new station.