News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Van Buren County bidding out several projects involved in a new Piney Solid Waste Convenience Center, to better accommodate residents and prepare the area for future growth.
Van Buren County Mayor David Sullivan said the county has bid out construction of three structures including a large pole barn, a 12-by-12 building, and a concrete pad. He said the site will need 800 feet of chain link fencing installed as well. He said since the Pine Grove facility closed years ago, residents in the area have had to travel over 10 miles to the convenience center in Spencer.
“We’re hoping we’re going to have a new building there, which we don’t have one now,” Sullivan said. “A new building there where, hopefully, the cars will be able to pull through there and to be able to take their garbage there and have a compact system there.”
Sullivan said he hopes to have about half of the cost for the new station covered by grant money. He said the county is working with the state to finalize several bid contracts and he hopes to have work underway in the next month.
“We’ve let the contracts out already, and then we will be doing part of it ourselves to try to save money also,” Sullivan said.
He said in addition to making life easier for residents of the Pine Grove and Piney communities, the new station should ease congestion at the Spencer Convenience Center. He said the site could serve a handful of residents in the Fifth District as well, as it may be closer for many of them than the center they primarily visit.
“They’ll be able to take their trash there for sure,” Sullivan said. “And then also, we’re going to have an oil and antifreeze collection place.”
He said with the population likely to rise in the near future, it is more important than ever to have services available for residents in each corner of Van Buren County.
