By Gary Lloyd
TRUSSVILLE — The name of the road explains the possibility perfectly.
A fire station on Service Road in Trussville could service a great area of the city, and quickly.
The Trussville City Council last week approved Milam & Company clearing and grubbing the corner of Service Road and Trussville-Clay Road for $5,475.
Mayor Gene Melton said the site, after a right-of-way is set to determine how much land is available to build on, could be for a future fire station.
“I think we’re going to have more than enough room for a fire station,” Melton said.
The city currently has three fire stations: Station 1 on Main Street behind Trussville City Hall, Station 2 on Roper Road and Station 3 on U.S. Highway 11 near Mary Munger Road. The Trussville Fire & Rescue administrative offices are located in the former Hewitt Elementary School on Cherokee Drive.
“We have nothing on the other side of the interstate,” Melton said.
He said that if the fire department gets a call from the Pilgrims Rest subdivision, near the Clay city limits, either Station 1 or Station 3 responds. The city has a mutual aid agreement with Center Point Fire & Rescue, but its closest station is on Clay-Palmerdale Road.
“It would be a big plus,” Melton said of constructing a fire station on Service Road.
Melton said the city acquired the property at the corner of Service Road and Trussville-Clay Road 10 to 15 years ago. With the completion of the Husky Parkway bridge looming, firefighters at this potential location would have quick access to Interstate 59, Deerfoot Parkway, Chalkville Mountain Road and Trussville-Clay Road.
“That’s the most practical place to put it,” Melton said.
Melton said building a new fire station could cost anywhere from $750,000 to $1 million. He said it could be built in the next couple years.
“We’re desperate for one,” Trussville Fire Chief Russell Ledbetter said.
Melton said the repairing of the Trussville-Clay Road bridge over Interstate 59, part of the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program, must be completed before a station could be built. The site in the meantime could be “prepped,” he said.
“We couldn’t have picked a better spot for a fire station,” Melton said.
Melton said that once the Husky Parkway bridge is completed, traffic patterns in Trussville will likely change. Congestion will move away from Chalkville Mountain Road and the downtown Trussville area. And, as the housing market improves, that area could be good for development.
“That connection is huge to the city, public services and everybody,” he said. “There’s no telling what will develop in that area. People just can’t imagine when we make those connections how much impact it’s going to have on the downtown area.”
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.