Grand Junction Fire Station-Community Center, Main Street Rehab Project Moves Forward

CITY HIRES FIRM TO DRAW UP PRELIMINARY PLANS

Grand Junction City Council approved hiring Snyder & Associates, Atlantic, to draw up preliminary design plans for the new fire station and community center. Council voted unanimously Feb. 13 to spend $6,400 to have Tim Teig of Snyder & Associates prepare a site plan, floor plan and street-view drawing of the proposed facility to be built on Main Street opposite Peoples Trust and Savings Bank.

Teig met with the council to outline his proposal to prepare the materials, which will incorporate preliminary discussions among city and fire department officials, Teig and representatives from building firms held in December and January. Snyder will prepare materials that incorporate “the size of the building, floor plan design, and how the facility will reflect the design of the bank and [related] quality of construction,” said Teig.

After reviewing the materials, the next step will be for the city to hire a firm to prepare an actual cost estimate, says City Clerk Rita Jenkins.

Funding for the new fire station-community center facility is being grouped under a new “Downtown GJ Revitalization” line item on the city budget. LDC Grand Junction made the initial gift to the fund of $5,000.

Since then, the city has received a grant of $10,000 from Union Pacific Railroad and a $750 grant from Black Hills Energy. A grant request for $25,000 from Prairie Meadows was not funded.

Grant applications are being submitted this month to the Greene County Community Foundation to support the community center portion of the facility and Keep Iowa Beautiful to assist with tearing down the old buildings.

In other business at the Feb. 13 meeting, Curly Holz asked the city for permission to cut down three trees at his expense that front the parking of his property at the southeast corner of Bennett and South 12^th Streets. The parking areas are owned by the city.

“The trees are soft maples and pretty much hollow,” he said. “One has roots that get into my drain. They also make it difficult to get satellite television. The one directly to the west is the worst. The other two are on the south parking and at the southwest corner. With hollow trees and westerly winds that blow around here, I am worried they will blow over onto my house.”

Council agreed to allow Holz to remove the trees at his own expense.

In other business, the council:
*Discussed progress on the Lincoln Highway Welcome Center being developed in the front portion of the Watts Building and the spot for the Hair Junction in the rear of the building.
*Discussed progress toward completion by the Iowa DOT of the Lincoln Highway Interpretive Center at the intersection of Old 30 and U.S. Highway 30.
*Reviewed changes to the city’s dog ordinance.
*Met with City Treasurer Jackie Ostrander to discuss the 2012-13 budget and to set a date for the budget hearing.