Gladstone rescue squad property transfer almost done

The final steps in transferring Gladstone Fire and Rescue Service property from the county back to the department are under way.

The Board of Supervisors granted Steve Carter, the county administrator, the authority to complete the transaction.

The board added the three acres of ball fields the county owned to the deed so that the fire and rescue service will own all of the land. The board also changed the deed to a permanent reversion instead of the originally proposed 20-year reversion. If the fire department disbands, then the land will go back to the county and the assets will be used for charitable purposes.

The Gladstone Fire and Rescue Squad has been officially reorganized as the Gladstone Fire and Rescue Service. The Board of Supervisors disbanded the squad last year, after it failed to produce required documents, despite the board’s requests.

Once the court releases the squad’s assets to the new service, including the vehicles, the service can apply for transport licenses.

All of the supervisors at last Tuesday’s meeting voted in favor of the deed. Connie Brennan, the Central District representative was absent and did not vote.

In other business, the board approved paying $5,000 for a pavement project and continuing to waive tipping fees for the Nelson County Community Development Foundation. The foundation works with rehabilitated houses, primarily for underprivileged people.

The foundation and the county made an agreement in 2006 about purchasing the land for a Shipman recycling center. The county has about five acres for the site and the foundation uses the remaining 11 acres.

When the agreement was made, a joint entrance was planned and the county was to pay for resurfacing required by the Virginia Department of Transportation.

The joint entrance was later determined to be impractical and another entrance for the foundation had to be constructed. The cost of paving this entrance is about $8,000, and due to the earlier agreement, the board approved paying $5,000 of it.

“I’d like to point out that Nelson County Community Development helped us out tremendously in acquiring the site,” said Allen Hale, the East District representative.

Larry Saunders, the South District representative, expressed concerns that the foundation did not have a public bid to find the workers for the project, although the contractors are from the area.

“It should have been a public bid because it’s public money,” he said.

Supervisors also agreed to help the Lovingston Ridge Apartment Buildings apply for tax credits for a restoration project through the Virginia Housing Development Authority.

The tax credits have four requirements: a letter of support from the board of supervisors, a revitalization area certificate, a tax abatement letter and a zoning certification.

The tax abatement would allow the apartment buildings to pay property taxes at the current rate while undergoing the $2.4 million construction project. Once the construction is completed, the apartment buildings would pay taxes at a newly assessed rate. The construction is expected to last from June 2012 to the end of 2013.

Tommy Bruguiere, the vice-chair for the board, proposed sending a letter to the management of the Lovingston Ridge Apartments encouraging them to use the local labor force “if at all possible.”

The board agreed and voted to approve the tax abatement and send a letter of support.