County Approves Site Work For New Storm Shelter At Carroll's Creek Fire Station

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The Tuscaloosa County Commission on Wednesday voted to move forward on the next steps to build a new proposed storm shelter on property adjacent to the Carroll's Creek Fire Protection District's Station 2 off of Tierce Patton Road.

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Commissioners first heard from Carroll's Creek Fire Chief Keith Hamner, who requested debris removal on the two-acre parcel that was recently purchased by the fire district's board.

"I very much appreciate what they do: those volunteers, that board, for stepping up and buying the property," District 1 Commissioner Stan Acker told Patch. "We can help with our expertise in clearing it and that will serve as additional in-kind work toward getting a grant, hopefully in the near-term future, to build a new shelter. Any time we can put a storm shelter where people can go to, we may never know what lives were saved but that's the key."

Acker said the parcel, which was previously owned by a private individual, is off of Stonehedge Road.

"It could have been a house or something," Acker said of the property. "But [Carroll's Creek'] bought it and have hired somebody to take the trees out. We're going to haul those off for them."

Acker then explained that the in-kind work being offered by the county, along with the fire district board's purchase of the property, can be used as the local matching portion for a federal grant application to pay for the construction of the new shelter.

"They'll have the property as a match and we'll have our work as site prep as an additional match, with the goal being to get a new storm shelter for 300 people or so in that area," Acker said.

Officials pointed out that these federal grant programs typically require a local match of between 10% and 20% of the total cost of the project.

"Realistically, for our crews and our equipment, we can get that cleared quickly and get the stuff hauled off," Acker said. "Then we're good to go."

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