Fire Station #5 Site Selection Criteria Public Input through March 5

The Athens-Clarke County Unified Government (ACCGov) invites residents to provide input on site selection criteria for a relocated Fire Station #5 as part of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) 2020 Project 6 – Fire Station #5 Replacement. The current Fire Station #5 is located at the corner of Whit Davis Road and Cedar Shoals Drive.

Site selection criteria provides a series of guidelines for evaluating potential sites for the new station. The criteria may include characteristics such as acreage, location in comparison to other fire stations, connection to utilities, public ownership, and other factors.

A drop-in public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 2 for residents to learn more about the project and provide feedback. The meeting will take place at Fire Station #7, located at 2350 South Barnett Shoals Road, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM.

Public input will also be accepted through an online survey available through www.accgov.com/fire through Sunday, March 5. The project webpage also contains additional project information, including a recording of a presentation to the Mayor and Commission at their January 12 Work Session meeting that includes a detailed project introduction.

Approximately $6 million has been designated for the Fire Station #5 Replacement through SPLOST funds. This funding includes land acquisition, design, construction, a fueling station, station equipment, and other related costs to meet facility standards for a suburban design comparable to previous fire station design prototypes.

The public will also have the opportunity to suggest potential sites for the relocated station during the site selection process. After public feedback on site selection criteria ends, staff will present recommended site selection criteria to the project user group and the Mayor and Commission during spring 2023 in order to begin evaluating sites that meet the approved criteria.

Additional public input opportunities are planned as the project moves through additional phases for site selection and design.

For more information, contact the SPLOST / TSPLOST Program Management Office at 706-613-3025 or [email protected] or visit www.accgov.com/splost.

Fire Station #5 Project Page