BY STACIE LETT CAIN
City Manager Ron Smith announced Monday that Fire Station One may be completed sooner than expected.
“I will not need to be giving updates on Fire Station One for much longer because we are looking to be finished with it a little ahead of schedule,” he explained during Monday’s City Council meeting. “The original completion date was in May and we are anticipating being completed some time in April.”
Crews are working on finishing the interior, pouring exterior concrete and putting the finishing touches on the city’s latest fire station.
Council woman Doris Allison has already toured the new station — which will be named in honor of community leader William T. “Woody” Woodard — and was very pleased with what she saw.
“It was very exciting to tour Fire Station One,” Allison explained. “If you haven’t seen it, you need to. I am grateful for all of the hard work and determination that it took to get it done. Thank you for doing a good thing.”
Other Projects
The next projects slated for completion for the city include a new warehouse/garage building, where grating and wall construction has already begun.
Another project on the horizon is the new Statesville Regional Airport terminal building.
“The airport staff are preparing for their move into the construction trailer that will be their home during the terminal construction project,” Smith announced. “That move will take place some time in April.”
SFD Recognition
At the beginning of the meeting, Mayor Costi Kutteh presented the Statesville Fire Department with a plaque acknowledging the department’s recent reaccreditation. The SFD is one of nine departments in North Carolina to earn international accreditation and hold an ISO 1 rating.
“We are an excellent department that provides an excellent service and that’s all because of the men and women on the Statesville Fire Department, and I appreciate their support,” said Fire Chief Glenn Kurfees. “We want to thank the mayor and city manager for going to Florida with us to receive this recognition. We were the only city to have both the mayor and city manager, and their support is much appreciated.”
Other Business
In other business:
♦ The council voted unanimously to annex property on Odessa Drive, which is the current building site of a speculative distribution building.
“This property is 98-plus acres and the building is already well under way. It will be a little over 234,000 square feet at completion,” Planning Director Sherry Ashley explained.
The property is contiguous to the Statesville city limits and is currently zoned light industrial. This is a voluntary annexation.
The current tax value for the property is approximately $143,000 but the anticipated tax value will be much greater.
“The anticipated tax value is to be determined,” Ashley explained. “I did request that information from the developer but have yet to receive it.”
♦ The council also voted to appoint Martin Gottholm to the airport commission. Gottholm will complete the term left by the departure of Dr. Robert Saltzman from the commission. His term will end in June 2026.