Brooke County ambulance station construction has resumed
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WELLSBURG -- Brooke County Commissioner Tom Diserio said Tuesday an environmental issue that had delayed construction of the county's new ambulance station has been addressed and work on the building has begun.
Diserio provided an update on the project following Tuesday's Brooke County Commission meeting.
While crews were preparing to build this summer, two underground tanks, each about 4 feet wide and 20 feet long, were discovered at the site.
The commissioners reported the tanks, believed to have belonged to a gas station that once stood near the site, were found to be empty and followed the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection's instruction to collect soil samples.
Diserio said the soil contained a trace of contaminants and the commission further complied with the WVDEP by adding new soil 20 feet into the ground, compacting it every 5 feet to create a vapor barrier intended to prevent future contamination.
He said with that done, crews have poured concrete footers for the building and are expected to create its wood frame in the near future.
Diserio said while the commission had hoped for the ambulance station to open in late spring 2024, it seems more likely to be completed by late summer of next year.
The building is slated to replace the Brooke County Ambulance Service's two current stations in Follansbee and the Bethany area.
The one-story structure will include bays for the agency's five ambulances, each about 12 feet wide; four living quarters, a conference-training room, two offices and a storage area for equipment.
The Waller Corp. of Washington, Pa. is the general contractor for the $2 million building, which was designed by the Thrasher Corp.
During its meeting, the commission:
• Agreed to extend the deadline for bids for an x-ray device and other security equipment for the judicial annex to 10 a.m. Dec. 12, having received none on Tuesday.
• Approved a yearly maintenance agreement with Advantage Communications Co. for its phone systems in the amount of $1,400, which County Commissioner Stacey Wise noted hasn't changed.
The commissioners also learned the cost for its phone lines, through CityNet, will increase to $62 per line on Jan. 1.
• Announced it will continue to accept letters of interest, through County Clerk Kimberly Barbetta, in three seats on the Brooke Hills Park board up to Dec. 18. Diserio said to date five have expressed interest in the seats.
The seats may be filled by their present holders, though at least one has resigned.