Lori Graham
Contributing Writer
The Auburn Park Build Out project, which will include baseball fields, multipurpose fields, walking trails, picnic shelters, playgrounds, and bathroom facilities, now has a projected completion date of Spring 2024, according to Scott Woodrum, Director of General Services for Montgomery County.
Woodrum provided an update on the project, along with three other capital improvement projects, to the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors during their regular meeting on Sept. 11, 2023.
“In the current schedule, it had an ad date of September 25th, which again may be impacted by the site plan comments,” Woodrum said. “It is anticipated this project would last about six months and could be completed by May of 2024.”
The total cost is approximately 8.2 million dollars.
Supervisor Todd King expressed concern over the timeliness of the Auburn Fields project. The previous date of completion had been projected to be December of 2023. Craig Meadows, County Administrator, assured King that everything was being done to move things forward.
“I know that citizens are anxious to get this thing underway, but I think the process of making sure that everything is as it should be…you know as Scott mentioned earlier, and I think the last conversation we had was the hope, just a couple of weeks ago, was that we would have it out to be, at the middle of this month… have an award and a ribbon cutting sometime in October,” Meadows said. “We’re just not there.”
The Auburn facility would provide a much-needed larger field for older team practices that otherwise are limited in the county.
“There are pros and cons to looking at the various fields, which ones you want to expand,” Woodrum said. “Working through some of those issues may take 4-6 weeks, so that would add another month or six weeks to the ad date.”
Woodrum provided updates on three additional capital projects in the County.
The Blacksburg Library Outdoor Improvements will provide a space for outdoor children’s programs. Some of the features of the new area will be a new patio with bench seating, shading, new lighting, power and data for events, and fencing to enclose the area along with alarm gates.
“We anticipate advertising the project in November or December this year and mobilizing February or March. The length of construction I approximately four months and would anticipate substantial completion in June 2024,” Woodrum said. “The current estimate for the project is indicated in the CIP is $423,500.”
The Magistrate and Court Services Facility in Christiansburg would provide a safer and more secure location for arrestees that are standing before the magistrate. Court services would also reside in the facility.
“The scope of this project includes 7,000 square feet of new office space and 3,800 square feet of a new sally port,” Woodrum said.
Plans are currently under review for the project, but Woodrum expects advertising for the project to happen around Oct. 16 and bids to be received approximately one month after. The project mobilization has a start time expected to be around January or February, taking about one-and-a-half years with an estimated cost of 7 million dollars.
The Shawsville EMS Facility is the last project Woodrum presented to the Board of Supervisors and citizens.
“The new facility consists of 11,113 square feet; 6,300 of that is office, training, and residential space and three apparatus bays consisting of 4,800 square feet,” Woodrum said.
Advertising is projected to be spring of 2024, construction is project to take approximately 16-18 months, with a cost potentially being 10.6 million dollars.
In other new business, Supervisors unanimously approved to schedule a public hearing on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, on a proposed ordinance amending Chapter 2, Division 5, Section 2-107 of the county code that would entitle a tax exemption and deferrals for elderly and handicapped citizens by increasing the net combined financial worth and the income limits to be eligible for relief.
Supervisors also unanimously approved, along with the Commissioner of the Revenue that “due to current circumstances, an assessment ratio of 90% shall be applied to the fair market value of each of those automobiles, trucks of less than two (2) tons, heavy trucks, tractor trailers, antique motor vehicles, taxicabs, motor vehicles with specifically designed equipment for use by the handicapped, motorcycles, mopeds, ATVs, off road motorcycles, boats under five (5) tons, boat trailers, boats or watercraft greater than five (5) tons, RVs, campers, travel trailers and utility trailers” according to the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors’ agenda at www.montva.com.
This assessment ratio will apply solely to qualifying assessments for the calendar year beginning Jan. 1, 2023, and ending Dec. 31, 2023.
In final notes of the new business, The Board of Supervisors of the County of Montgomery, have proclaimed Sept. 11, 2023, as Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance recognized the 22nd anniversary of the attack on the United States of America, honoring and remembering the victims and heroes that lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.
National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in September was recognized as well by the Board of Supervisor in promoting awareness of mental health care and those living with mental health disabilities. September was first declared as National Suicide Prevention month in 2008. Additional information on the staggering statistics of mental health, suicide, and mental health care needed in our communities can be found in the Supervisors’ agenda.
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