By William F. West
The Herald-Sun
Copyright 2007 The Herald-Sun
WILTON, N.C. — An Emergency Medical Services station is taking shape at this rural crossroads community in southeastern Granville County.
The concrete slab has been poured and the materials for the metal building are expected to arrive early next month, said Scott Phillips, the county’s development services director, who oversees the county’s construction and renovation projects.
“We’re anticipating being in the building somewhere around mid-October,” Phillips said of the project, which is costing about $350,000 to $360,000. “I think everything’s going fine.”
Vance Construction of Henderson is in charge of the work.
When completed, the facility will be 3,000 square feet, with the design to include a community meeting room to accommodate about 35 to 40 people and space for a potential satellite sheriff’s office.
Phillips said the design allows for future expansions if necessary.
The site is along N.C. 96 next to Wilton Elementary School and near the junction of N.C. 56.
The area around the future station is sprawling, with new homes going up as fast as crews can erect them, particularly off N.C. 96 toward the Wake County line.
Meanwhile, a second EMS station will be built off N.C. 96 at the Oak Hill community, located at the far northwestern end of Granville County.
“We hope to break ground in the next two weeks at that facility,” said Phillips, who anticipates completion sometime in December.
D.B. Williams Construction of Oxford will have charge of building a structure at Oak Hill that will be similar in cost and size to the one at Wilton.
Phillips said the Oak Hill station is needed because the nearest existing stations are in Oxford and Stovall.
“Obviously when you’re talking about emergency response, minutes and seconds mean a whole lot,” he said.
The work continues on other projects in Granville County, too, with plans calling for upgrading the exterior of one of the county’s most visible structures: the courthouse in the heart of Oxford.
Phillips, speaking on a cell phone, did not have precise figures at hand and said he has not yet seen the architect’s final documents.
Phillips did say the roof and the windows will be replaced. The new windows will be ones similar in design to the ones already in place, but be better insulated, reducing cooling and heating costs, he said.
“I’m hoping to have bids out within the next 45 to 60 days and hopefully it can be done this fall,” he said of the courthouse project.
The courthouse dates back to 1838 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Phillips said there is no need for exterior work on the courthouse annex, dedicated in 1986, because the roof on that building was replaced about two years ago.