The Peyton Fire Protection District Board of Directors voted unanimously last month to deny developer Ray O’Sullivan’s request to exclude 676 acres of the Santa Fe Springs development from the Peyton fire district.O’Sullivan requested the exclusion in February and presented his arguments in support of the request at a hearing in July. The Falcon Fire Protection District had agreed to include the land, which is zoned residential and commercial, if the Peyton fire district agreed to exclude the land.Prior to the vote, Peyton fire district board secretary Steve Whitaker read the district’s rebuttal to O’Sullivan’s arguments for the exclusion request.O’Sullivan had argued that the exclusion would serve the best interest of future property owners because the area would be within 5 miles of the Falcon fire district’s Station 1.Whitaker rebutted, stating that the exclusion area is 6 miles from the current Falcon fire station and the station, he said, “Will remain an ISO 10, the same rating as Peyton fire [district] due to the road distance … from the fire station,” until a new fire station is built when the Santa Fe Springs development is at 50-percent build out, which is scheduled in the next five to 10 years. Whitaker also said that with the Falcon fire district’s plans to move their fire station farther west “there will be no improved ISO rating by granting the exclusion for the foreseeable future.”O’Sullivan also had argued that Peyton fire district’s mill levy of 6.111 was higher than Falcon fire district’s mill levy of 5.712, so future property owners would benefit from being absorbed by the Falcon fire district.Whitaker said the difference would be “negligible on a $250,000 home.” He also said the future of the Falcon fire district’s mill levy was uncertain because they have requested mill levy and debt increases in the past.O’Sullivan also had argued that it would be in the best interest of the Peyton fire district to exclude the requested area.”The loss of potential revenue would be devastating to the Peyton fire district,” Whitaker said. “The district estimates, based on the current mill levy and an average value of $250,000 per residence at build out, we would see a loss of $142,352.26 of annual tax revenues. Add in the estimated commercial property and that figure grows to $187,621.80 of annual revenue lost.” Such a loss “would decrease our ability to provide services to the estimated 14,000 citizens remaining in the district,” he added.The Peyton fire district also would lose the potential pool of citizens willing to volunteer to ensure the safety of the citizens of the Peyton fire district, Whitaker said.But O’Sullivan had said that the exclusion would be in the best interest of the county.”The district’s plans to increase in capacity and improve emergency services … will be hampered severely if the district incurs any revenue loss,” Whitaker said. “If there is a loss [in revenue], then these services are impaired and when that happens, all of El Paso County is negatively impacted.”O’Sullivan had contended that the Peyton fire district is not able to provide services at a reasonable cost compared with the cost that would be imposed by the Falcon fire district.Whitaker answered that Peyton fire district protects about 120 square miles on a budget of about $172,000, and the Falcon fire district protects an area of similar size on a budget of $1.5 million. “Given Peyton fire district’s small annual budget, it would appear that the Peyton [fire district] is and does provide efficient services at a reasonable cost,” he said.”Peyton Fire Protection District is committed to becoming a paid/volunteer fire protection district … and the loss of revenue generated from that development would severely hamper those efforts; thus, placing an unfair burden on the remaining citizens of the Peyton fire district.”O’Sullivan said in July that if the Peyton fire district denied the exclusion request, he would present the request to the county board of commissioners.Falcon fire district weighs inIn a separate interview, Trent Harwig, chief of the Falcon Fire Protection District, said he understands why the Peyton fire district is fighting the exclusion request, but he also understands O’Sullivan’s reasoning.Harwig disputed Peyton fire district’s assertion that a new fire station would not be built in the Falcon portion of the Santa Fe Springs development until 50 percent build out. Until the new fire station is built, houses in the Santa Fe Springs development will have an ISO rating of 10, and “they’re not marketable that way,” Harwig said.”There will be a station there way before 50 percent build out. We’ve talked with O’Sullivan about having a preliminary station in a maintenance building, which is going to be built early on.”The preliminary station won’t be staffed, but it will include bays for a couple of trucks, Harwig said. When the fire station is built, it will probably be staffed with full-time volunteers until about 2,500 houses are built, which should generate enough revenue to pay career firefighters, he said.Peyton fire district’s rebuttal to O’Sullivan’s justification for the exclusion mentioned Falcon fire district’s many unsuccessful attempts to increase their mill levy. Harwig said there are no plans to go to the voters with another mill levy increase this November or next May. “We haven’t even discussed next November, even though it’s needed and the situation has not changed,” he added.Harwig also said that moving Station 1 to Golden Sage Road will not affect the ISO rating of existing developments. The move has no impact, he said.”While the current location of the station is ideal, the station itself is not ideal,” Harwig said. “Land in here in the Falcon town center area is so expensive we probably wouldn’t have opted for a different location anyway.”Our 20-year strategic plan has a station at Rex Road and Meridian Road to protect the northern end of Meridian Ranch, which will build out with another 3,000 homes.”He said one station could not handle the build out at Meridian Ranch.”With the station planned at Rex Road and Meridian Road, it makes more sense for the current Falcon fire station to be where we’re moving it to,” Harwig said.Editor’s note: Ray O’Sullivan did not respond to numerous NFH phone calls.
