With the county moving toward final selection of an architect for Waldens Ridge Emergency Service's new volunteer fire hall, tangible progress should be forthcoming.
The fire station, to be located next to the old fire hall on Taft Highway, has been awaiting momentum since the Hamilton County Commission voted to purchase the 1.8-acre parcel of land in July.
On Dec. 16, the committee tasked with selecting an architectural firm for the project whittled its pool of candidates from 12 to three. The names of these remaining firms were then presented to Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger, who will evaluate the firms and bring his recommendation before the County Commission for approval early next year.
The three firms are up for consideration are all local: Derthick Henley & Wilkerson Architects, Franklin Associates Architects and TWH Architects, which was recently acquired by Michael Brady Inc. in Knoxville.
William Thornton, chairman of Waldens Ridge Emergency Service's board of directors, gave a brief update on the process and progress during the Walden Board of Mayor and Aldermen's December meeting. Residents voiced concerns that the new station would not fit with the town's aesthetic and expressed a desire to have their say in the fire hall's design.
"We need to have a seat at the table," one local said.
Thornton said he's already made it clear to the county that the citizens need to be updated on the project as further progress is made, and said that once the initial plans are drawn for the building, he will show residents the different design functions through open houses at the fire station.
"Before anything gets locked in, we want the town to see," Thornton said. "We will be very transparent with the town and the community."
Thornton also assured residents that the new fire hall will match the town. He pointed to Sale Creek's new volunteer fire department as an example of the coming station's size and quality, but said the new local station's aesthetics will make it fit right at home in Walden. The addition of community rooms will also give the new building increased functionality and make it a haven for citizens.
"It's not just a fire station for 50-year capability, but it's an asset for the county and the whole community," said Thornton. "We're really excited about what this is going to do."
After a firm has been chosen, the county will put out a general bid for contractors and the chosen architect will conduct a three- to four-month study of all the components needed to design and construct the building, Thornton said.
Though the process has been a slow one since WRES first expressed a need for a new station, he reminded residents that the county has successfully managed similar projects in the past, and assured that more tangible progress is on its way.
"You see progress now when you go past our fire station and you no longer see a building," Thornton said. "[There's a] vacant lot there."
Email Myron Madden at mmadden@timesfreepress.com.