| New property needed for Fire & Rescue Jeremy Nash news-herald.net
Loudon County Fire & Rescue must find new land if it
intends to relocate the Sugarlimb Road station.
Loudon County Commission, during a Monday workshop,
discussed Fire & Rescue being unable to purchase land at the corner
of Sugarlimb and Hotchkiss Valley roads for future relocation
because the property cannot have sewer or a septic system put in
place.
Doing so would be pricey, Loudon County Mayor Rollen
“Buddy” Bradshaw said, noting it could cost about $1 million.
“Well, there was no sewer and due to it being all
filled dirt there the septic system wasn’t an option either,”
Bradshaw said. “So there’s just — you’d spend a lot more to get
prepping than it would be to build a building.”
Commission, during its December meeting, unanimously
agreed to contribute $43,750 out of the general fund to help Fire &
Rescue purchase the land. The 1.64 acres had a total cost of
$87,500. Loudon County Fire & Rescue would have paid the balance.
“Of course, what they’re trying to do is stay as
centrally located as they can,” Commissioner Van Shaver said. “The
justice center was very center. This was still very center, right on
the side of the intersection. It would have been a fantastic spot,
but I guess that’s why that property was really inexpensive as
property goes on a major intersection.”
The money will now roll back into the general fund,
Bradshaw said.
“That money will just roll back and then if they find
another parcel of property they’ll be able to come back and ask us
again to consider the match and that sort of stuff and depending on
what the circumstances are, it seems to me the commission is pretty
good to want to assist the rescue squad with any of their projects,”
Shaver said. “So I suspect the commission will be more than open to
consider whatever their next project might be.”
Bradshaw said Fire & Rescue Chief Bill Hart
already has his eye on a couple of properties in the same area.
Specific locations could not provided.
“Hopefully one of those will work out and we’ll
be able to jump right back in there and help with that property
as well and get it going again,” Bradshaw said.
Fire & Rescue has five stations in the county.
Plans are to eventually relocate the Sugarlimb Road station when
future expansion of Loudon County Jail is needed.
Michael Hodge, assistant chief with Fire &
Rescue, could not be reached for comment by News-Herald
presstime.
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1/31/18