Station 8 in Portola Valley will soon get a facelift after more than two years of planning.

The Town Council voted 5-0 at its Aug. 11 meeting to change the Portola Valley fire station zoning code to upgrade and renovate the station, which is run by the Woodside Fire Protection District. Fire Chief Rob Lindner called the project "long overdue" and "necessary" during the meeting. Construction is tentatively set to begin in March 2022, said Mike Wasserman, vice president of Capital Program Management, the company managing the construction of the project.

Station 8, which is located at 135 Portola Road, is considered a legal nonconforming use, which limits updates or additions that otherwise would be considered typical, according to a March report prepared by staff. The fire station property is located within the town zone that permits single-family dwellings and conditional uses, according to the March 17 staff report. However, public buildings or similar uses are not currently a permitted or conditional use in this zone.

It wasn't always the case. From 1967 to 1980, the property was zoned for public buildings. However, the public building portion was removed from the code in a 1987 ordinance.

The project planning hasn't come without pushback. In March, some residents shared concerns that more public buildings could be added to the site in the future. With feedback from residents, the fire district amended its plans.

Bob Schultz, who lives near the fire station, said the planning process for the renovation has been "long and stressful."

"We feel that many complex issues have been worked through," he said. "We are supportive of this project. … Give the fire station the tools they need to continue their work protecting our community."

The fire district made the following changes:

• Moved parking to the front of the station instead of at the back of the property

• Increased the landscape buffer

• Included groundwater and soil testing

• Added a landscape maintenance agreement

• Removed a San Mateo County Sheriff's Office substation

• Removed exterior lighting

• Moved the trash collection area away from neighbors

Assistant Planner Dylan Parker said the project underwent an extensive deliberation process, having been through the Planning Commission three times and Architectural and Site Control Commission twice.

In March, Lindner said the fire department has outgrown its current facilities and is in desperate need of a remodel. But town planning staff say since the station, which is located on a 46,970-square-foot lot just slightly north of the intersection of Portola and Alpine roads, is zoned for residential use, the town code would need to be updated first. The station would add 1,837 feet of building space in the renovation, according to staff.

The station was built in the late '70s and last remodeled in 1994, according to The Almanac's archives.

The rezoning of the property created a discrepancy and town staff doesn't know why the fire station would have deliberately been made nonconforming. It is possible that it was an unintended consequence of the past code amendments.

In the past, Lindner said the station needed additional sleeping quarters (some staff working 48-hour shifts currently sleep in makeshift bedrooms in the office and exercise room), a reception area, and more parking spaces. The station has three bedrooms and the remodel would add two more.

For more on the project, go here.