City Agrees to Buy County Fire Station

After Camarillo and Ventura County officials spent weeks negotiating the purchase of an abandoned county fire station, the Camarillo Development Commission voted Wednesday to spend up to $170,000 to buy the building.

But what the city will do with the complex, known as Old Fire Station No. 54, remains unclear.

Officials from the Pleasant Valley Historical Society want the city to lease the building to them at a nominal rate so they can convert it into a weekend museum.

But a group of local merchants also wants the building.

Antique dealer Guy Maison, who co-owns Augusta’s Showroom antique shop on Ventura Boulevard near the firehouse, wants to buy the station and transform it into a shopping paseo.

The City Council, acting as the development commission, has not decided which plan to pursue.

“I haven’t made up my mind,” Councilman Kevin Kildee said. “We do have a lot of choices and whatever we decide to do will be a big benefit for the city and the boulevard.”