“The colors are still very preliminary” explains Paul Hoover of Precision Planning Inc (PPI) as he unveils two versions of what Habersham County’s next fire station might look like. “We’re proposing to do a base of either brick or stone,” he says.
PPI is the engineering and architectural design firm hired by the county to work up plans for the new Turnerville station.
While the building’s looks, how the exterior fits into the neighborhood, is important, Habersham Fire Chief Jeff Cain is more focused on the interior, “I think it’s a good workable space,” he says. “I think it will serve us well in the future.”
Cain says he went into the planning process looking for everything he’s always wanted in a fire station but, with budget constraints in mind, he worked with planners to reduce costs. “We have done our due diligence on trying to save all we can save.”
The new fire station was part of the last Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) ballot issue. Habersham County Commissioners voted in May to purchase the land, 4.45 acres of property on Orchard Road at Bear Gap Road, with a price tag of $74,750.
The land came with a rather large obstacle to construction, an oak tree on the property which serves as a landmark and the source of a local legend about a “hanging tree.” Commissioners have been clear since they bought the land – the tree will be protected. “An arborist has come out and looked at it,” Hoover says. “We’re proposing to do a 20 foot buffer around the tree. There will be no construction traffic in that area.”
The tree appears in all the preliminary drawings alongside the planned station.
The total cost of the new station is in flux, “During the design phase we’re going to do another estimate,” Hoover says. “The thing that concerns me is that the (construction) market is starting to come back. We’ve even experienced contractors not bidding jobs. Contractors’ numbers are starting to inch up. With the way the economy is starting to build they’re not as hungry as they once were.”
Hoover and county officials say throughout the design work they will continue to lower potential costs. They expect to break ground on the project before the end of the year.
