Tega Cay approves funding for fire station, truck

Tega Cay approved money for a new fire station and truck, expanding the city’s presence in the high-growth Stonecrest area.

Tega Cay City Council voted June 8 to approve a bond ordinance to finance a station on Stonecrest Boulevard, across from Ledgestone Court. The site was donated by Stonecrest developer Herman Stone.

“This includes the construction of the station and the purchase of the fire engine,” said Charlie Funderburk, city manager. “It will be a 15-year, bank-placed loan.”

The total project cost is $2.6 million. The bond vote is for almost $2.2 million.

“The remaining $462,762.70 will come from the city’s cash reserves,” Funderburk said.

“This portion will fund civil engineering fees, structural engineering fees, architectural fees, soil testing and inspections by a third party, furnishings for the building and a 10 percent contingency for the construction part of the project.”

Groundbreaking should come late this fall, with opening about a year later. Randolph & Sons Builders and ADW Architects are working with the city on the project.

Last fall, the fire department learned its insurance safety rating would improve to an ISO 2, a score factoring in several facets of fire protection and used by insurers to set rates for residential and commercial properties. The score put Tega Cay in the top 2 percent nationally for ISO ratings.

Chief Scott Szymanski sees the new fire station as the next step for a growing city.

“It’ll be great,” he said. “It’ll increase our presence on that side of the city to where they’re getting the same response times we have on this side. We’ll be able to improve our response times dramatically.”

The existing station is in the historic part of Tega Cay, a drive down Tega Cay Drive and S.C. 160 from Stonecrest. Along with a growing residential and business base on S.C. 160, Catawba Park is planned nearby, which the city sees as a regional draw for active and passive recreation.

Szymanski said the new truck will be easier to maneuver through the city than what his department has now, and new staff could come on to have five or six firefighters on duty per shift. The department now has 20 volunteers and 14 paid firefighters.

This story was originally published June 13, 2016 at 10:42 AM with the headline "Tega Cay approves funding for fire station, truck."