A revision to the initial site plan presented to the Dawson County Board of Commissioners for a new fire station near Ga. 400 would save the county about $300,000.

Dawson County Manager Kevin Tanner presented a revised site plan for the board to review during last Thursday’s work session.

The new plan calls for a 90 degree rotation to the 14,500 square feet building, which would avoid the construction of a retaining a wall, and removing decorative trim, columns, awnings and a gable over the bay doors.

The savings will be used to hire a licensed general contractor for the project.

Initially, the county planned to save more than $300,000 in construction costs by having Tanner, a licensed general contractor, serve as contractor for the project.

But state law requires counties to hire a general contractor outside the county government.

Despite the cost, emergency officials serving that portion of Dawson County say the new station, which replaces the existing Station 2 at War Hill Park Road and Hwy. 53, has been a need for several years.

Volunteer firefighter Kerry Vanderpool, who responded to more than 250 calls in 2008, looks forward to better serving residents in that area.

“The new station will allow us to get a new engine that is more capable of carrying more rescue equipment,” he said. “Newer trucks are set up for more modern techniques of fire and rescue.”

In addition to the new station, the site may also house a sheriff’s office precinct and a library annex.

Dawson County Sheriff Billy Carlisle said a new precinct has been needed in the area since about the time the outlet mall opened, in the mid-1990s. About 80-85 percent of sheriff’s office business occurs near or along the Ga. 400 corridor, according to Carlisle.

“For us, the new precinct is another area for us to serve the public better,” he said.

The county also plans to use the building as a satellite tax office and possibly a voting precinct, as well as a recycling facility and county vehicle filling station.

The project, which will cost $850,000 to $1 million, could begin in May and is expected to be complete by yearend. 

The county bought the site next to Tractor Supply Company last summer as part of a 1-cent sales tax project approved more than five years earlier.

The board is expected to vote on sending the project out for bid during tomorrow’s regular meeting.

E-mail Michele Hester at michele@dawsonnews.com.