A new voting precinct that will also serve as a substation for the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office is in the works to replace the precinct at the former Northeast Lamar Fire Station #1.
The new precinct will be built on a parcel of donated land at the corner of Hartfield and Weathersby roads, with officials hopeful – but not positive – the facility will be ready by the next election in August.
“The place (voters) are voting now is the old fire station, and it’s in need of some repairs,” Lamar County Administrator Jody Waits said. “Primarily, though, it sits low and is apt to flooding in the parking lot, which could hamper voting. So we just need to get a new spot.
“And currently in that building where they vote, there is a sheriff’s substation, but it also needs some repairs. The sheriff actually has an office for his deputies over at Merit Health (Wesley), and when they’re in that part of town they go there and do paperwork. So the new building will have a sheriff’s substation with an office for his deputies and the voting precinct, so that will help solve the problem for both of those issues.”
Current plans are to sell the former fire station building and use those funds to help pay for the new location.
“This is needed,” Lamar County Circuit Clerk Martin Hankins said. “It’s in a flood zone, and fortunately we haven’t had any situations that have hampered (voting), but it is needed. Whatever we need to do to make it happen, it would be much appreciated.”
County supervisors will now enlist architects to complete designs for the building, which will function only as the voting precinct/substation and not as a community center. Officials have already reviewed plans for parking lot and traffic flow, and will work to get sewer, drain and pumping station issues resolved.
“Also, one of the things that we were looking at was funding through the (Metropolitan Planning Organization) for modifications to that intersection at Hartfield and Weathersby, so we need to take that in consideration in whatever we’re proposing (for that site),” Waits said.
