Graham’s city council has set in motion getting architectural plans for a new fire station that the city plans to build between Moore Street and Rogers Road in the southern part of the city.
The council authorized the land purchase earlier this year. The council voted 3-2 to buy the acre-and-a-half parcels for the seller’s asking price of $225,000.
During their regular meeting earlier this month, the council agreed to hire the architectural firm of Stewart-Cooper-Newell Architects to draw up plans for the city’s second fire station.
During the presentation, it was noted that the company has extensive experience in designing fire houses, having done more than 350 in recent years. Burlington’s newest, fire station no. 6, was designed by the same firm.
Mayor Jerry Peterman mentioned that the firm also has experience in designing the “drive-through” type of station that Graham has in mind for the southern fire station. In this style, there would be two entrances, in order to allow fire trucks to enter from one direction, such as along Rogers Road, pull into a bay of the station, and then ultimately exit along Moore Street, as opposed to having to “back into the bays” from Moore Street, for instance.
Five firms submitted responses to the city’s solicitation for qualified architectural firms to perform the architectural drawings and design for the new fire station.
The council had set aside $275,000 in this year’s budget for the contract and voted unanimously, 4-0, to award it to Stewart-Cooper-Newell Architects.
Voting in favor were mayor Peterman and council members Melody Wiggins, Jennifer Talley, and Ricky Hall. Mayor pro tem Chip Turner was absent.
Council members were told that the station would take approximately one year to build once ground is broken.
See earlier coverage on the decision to buy the property for new fire station: https://alamancenews.com/graham-city-council-authorizes-land-purchase-for-new-fire-substation/
