Work on a new, state-of-the-art fire station on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs is set to begin this fall, with completion estimated in December 2027.
During a sparsely attended June 17 open house in the neighborhood backing up to the property, city officials and residents said they’re glad the Sandy Springs Fire Department is moving its operations solely within the city.
Currently, Fire Station 4 is about 1,000 feet outside of Sandy Springs at 4697 Wieuca Road in Atlanta. Sandy Springs purchased the site from Atlanta in 2014. Because of a mutual-aid clause, service calls can come from Pharr Road in Buckhead, nearly three miles south of its city limits.
While some residents expressed concerns last year, fire department leaders said homeowners are happy the city is keeping the natural forest buffer along the property line.
Bringing fire services inside city
Last July, Sandy Springs bought around 6.5 acres at 5275 Roswell Road for $10 million. Elected officials have approved a $2.1 million contract to design the fire station and logistics building.
Because the empty lot along the east side of Roswell Road, just north of Beachland Drive, is lined with single-family homes, the city has met directly with abutting neighbors.
Interim Sandy Springs Fire Chief Jesse Bernard said his department is hearing positive things from nearby residents, who think it’ll “liven the area up a bit.” Bernard told Rough Draft Atlanta that a nice facility will brighten up a gloomy section of the corridor.
“It’s going to change our response times,” Bernard said. “It’ll get our trucks from inside the city limits of Atlanta into the city [of Sandy Springs] and definitely have a positive impact on response times.”
The Coronet Club, an adult entertainment venue, shuttered its operation on the property in 2018 under pressure from the city. Two buildings on the site were subsequently demolished, adding the site to a list of vacant and abandoned lots along Roswell Road.
The new Fire Station 4 includes two buildings: a one-story, 11,561-square-foot logistics building for equipment storage behind a two-story station with three apparatus bays. The station has decontamination areas and a living quarters for 24-hour staffing. Other site work includes landscaping, parking, and training space.
“This new station has what’s called a clean side and a dirty side,” Bernard said. “That way, all the contaminants stay on one side of the building … it’s very important.”
Fire department at-large
When first pursuing the project more than a year ago, Sandy Springs officials said the relocation would save the city money long term. If the fire department moves out of the Wieuca Road building, it will no longer receive calls from Atlanta.
Former Sandy Springs Fire Chief Keith Sanders is now the assistant city manager overseeing infrastructure and capital program delivery. With experience overseeing the construction of several fire stations, city officials say Sander is “seamlessly” stepping into the expanded role.
“I’m hoping to improve the processes that we have in place and shorten the project timeline,” Sanders said. “This one here [Fire Station 4] is such a vital improvement to our response times, it’s just unreal. We respond more than twice as many times in Atlanta as we do in Sandy Springs. This will change the game big time.”
Aside from relocating Fire Station 4, the city is also renovating Fire Station 3 on Raider Drive and rebuilding Fire Station 1 at Spalding and Roberts drives. The facility overhaul is funded by the city’s issuance of $50.5 million in revenue bonds last fall.
As for the current Fire Station 4 in Atlanta on Wieuca Road, Sandy Springs leaders are in conversation to sell the property back to the city of Atlanta. It’ll be good news for Buckhead residents, who will also see improved service if plans go through.
Sanders said he spoke with Atlanta’s fire chief about a year ago about his intention to purchase and staff the station. Until the new Sandy Springs Fire Station 4 is built, it’ll be business as usual at 4697 Wieuca Road.
