EXCITING NEWS ABOUT OUR AREA

Country Crossing meeting focuses on infrastructure

Wednesday, Mar 19, 2008 By Debbie Ingram, Dothan Eagle

The 2009 opening of Country Crossing could bring about the expansion of a local volunteer fire department.

In a preliminary meeting with state and local officials, utilities companies and developers and planners Wednesday, Houston County Commission Chairman Mark Culver said the Town of Rehobeth will most likely provide fire protection for the $100 million to $300 million project

“Fire and rescue is probably going to be up to Rehobeth to provide that,” Culver said, “and more than likely we will have a location built on site to provide service.”

The fire departments in the county are funded through tobacco taxes and a few years ago county residents approved a $30 per structure annual fee that goes to the fire departments.

The fee is placed on all residential and commercial structures outside the city limits of Dothan, excluding agriculture structures.

The county gives the Rehobeth Rescue Squad a $17,500 direct appropriation annually and the squad relies on fundraisers to supplement its revenues, Culver said.

Serving a multi-faceted country music entertainment center on Smithville Road, the department might have to rely on more than just volunteers.

“At some point, they may have to be there all the time but the funding on that will have to be worked out,” Culver said.

About 30 people attended a preliminary construction meeting at the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce.

“We tried to get everybody who had any infrastructure part in this together,” Culver said. “It was not so much to answer any questions but to throw things out there to see where we are.”

At the meeting were representatives from the Alabama Department of Transportation, the Houston County Road and Bridge Department Department, Wiregrass Electric Cooperative, the Houston County Water Authority, the City of Dothan, CenturyTel, Southeast Alabama Gas, the Town of Rehobeth, Country Crossing, Apogee Attractions of Boston and DeVictor Langham, a land planning firm in Roswell, Ga.

There were also discussions on:

The need for traffic studies, so developers may plan for the worst-case scenario in terms of traffic flow and getting in and out of the development. Improvements to U.S. 231, Alabama 109, Smithville Road and Boys Club Road are being discussed.

The possible need for a new Wiregrass Electric substation.

Water needs. The county has approved a Houston County Water Authority project to run water lines up Smithville Road. “We can provide water now and potentially as the project grows, we may put a tank on site.”

Sewer needs. The development will initially connect to Dothan’s Cypress Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. In the long term, Country Crossing may put in their own system or partner with Taylor and/or Rehobeth in putting in a system.

Technical, communications needs at the site. “They want to be able to do a lot of video work and a lot of video security. They also want to broadcast live television from down there.”
Culver said the meeting was productive.

“In general, it was a good meeting but until the design is actually put on paper, all we can do is the framework,” he said.

Ron Reeves is the civil engineer and coordinator of the project.