Talleysville fire station gets go ahead to build after supervisors approve contract

Construction for a new fire station in the Talleysville area of New Kent is a full go after county leaders approved a contract Monday night at the board of supervisors meeting.

Supervisors voted 5-0 to approve entering into a contract with Henderson, Inc. in the amount of $2,518,692 for a new fire station. The facility will be located at 7324 Vineyards Parkway, adjacent to the New Kent County Visitor Center.

Plans for the new station gained steam in Nov. 2016 after New Kent Fire Chief Rick Opett came to the board for the need due to the county’s exponential growth. While the build for the facility is a year behind, the new station will provide much needed services to the county. Delays for the facility were caused by Virginia’s Department of Transportation (VDOT) approving access to a crossover for emergency personnel only.

The $2.5 million price tag comes in $300,000 below what the county had budgeted for the building. County Administrator Rodney Hathaway said the remaining funds will be used to furnish the facility.

No groundbreaking day has been set for constructions to begin. It is expected for the fire station to be operational within 365 days.

In another board action, county leaders unanimously approved to amend a county ordinance to reflect definitions of horse racing and historic racing. The action helps county code to come into compliance with House Bill 1609 that was recently passed by state legislature to reopen Colonial Downs and bring horse racing back into the state of Virginia.