April 26--WEST POINT -- Construction on a $600,000 new fire station here was supposed to begin last July, but the delay of a land survey is preventing any progress on the project, town officials said.
A new five-bay fire station is planned at the site of the former Doris Diner on Alabama 157, less than a half-mile east of the intersection at Cullman County 1242. West Point acquired the property from the state after the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) widened Alabama 157 from two lanes to four, said Mayor Kenneth Kilgo. The fire station is to be built alongside the town's new community storm shelter.
However, there's a discrepancy of where the property lines fall between the fire station site and the adjacent land. The survey West Point received from the state for its property differs from a recent survey done in preparation for construction on the fire station, Kilgo said.
"We're waiting on a third survey that will hopefully settle where exactly the lines fall to see if we need to move the building over a bit," Kilgo said.
Tim Martin, chief of the West Point Volunteer Fire Department, said the delay means the fire department will probably have to redo its bank financing which could mean higher interest rates on its loan.
"The survey has set us back, but we're hoping to get it back so we can go ahead and get started," Martin said. "It will probably take about 8 to 9 months to build, but that's dependent on the weather."
The current fire station -- built in the late 1970s -- sits nearby West Point schools which makes its difficult for the fire department to respond to emergencies during school traffic, Martin said. The department has also outgrown the facility, and with the larger station, it hopes to host its own training classes there, rather than relying on the space provided at the West Point Town Hall.
The old station sits on property owned by the Cullman County Board of Education, and the fire department has been leasing it, Martin said. Once the new station is built and the fire department moves in, the county school system can use the old station for extra storage, as a maintenance shed or however it sees fit, he said.
In other business Monday, the West Point Town Council:
Approved minutes from its March meeting.
Tabled a measure related to additional fencing on the public right of way by West Point baseball field.
Discussed the need for new paint on crosswalks and stripping at the end of County Road 1242. Councilman Frankie Johns said he would talk to the county about getting the work done on the recently paved stretch of roadway.
Received update from Mayor Kenneth Kilgo about being reimbursed $52,300 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for community storm shelter. The council agreed to pay $9,500 for the installation of new utility pole for shelter.
Approved spending $3,000 to purchase new Christmas decorations for the town hall.
Reviewed updated map of town limits for possible annexation opportunities.
Discussed adding sidewalk from ballfields to West Point First Baptist Church.
Tiffeny Owens can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 256-734-2131, ext. 135.
Copyright 2014 - The Cullman Times, Ala.
