The Franklin County Board of Supervisors has approved the purchase of two adjoining parcels of property for the construction of a new fire station in Glade Hill. The county has acquired the two properties along 40 East (Old Franklin Turnpike) and Turtle Hill Road (Route 869) for $26,250, according to documents presented to the board of supervisors at their July meeting.
The combined properties contain 5.49 acres and are located about 3.2 miles east of the current station.
Funds for the properties have been budgeted from an account set aside from EMS billing revenues that were earmarked for Capital Improvement Projects when the EMS billing system was implemented. The Capital Improvement funds were set aside for planning and construction purposes for fire and EMS buildings, such as the new station planned for the Glade Hill Fire Department.
The county first began planning for a new fire station in 2007 after a report noted that the current Glade Hill Fire Department building has structural issues that make it unsuitable for renovation or expansion, according to Public Safety Director Daryl Hatcher. The current station also does not have adequate space for meetings, offices, and storage.
It was also noted in the report that the well that serves the building did not have adequate capacity and supplies less than a gallon per minute of water, Hatcher said.