As construction continues on the Foley safe room, the city and county are working to prepare the site to accommodate first responders during emergencies.
Foley and Baldwin County are working together to extend utility easements to the site where the facility is under construction. The Foley City Council approved the easement extension at its last meeting.
The city acquired the parcel at the intersection of East Berry Avenue and North Poplar Street from the county, which still owns adjoining property.
Mayor Ralph Hellmich said Foley is continuing to work with the county on the project.
“We’re not doing the whole easement on the city side,” Hellmich said. “We’re taking half of the city’s property and half of the county’s so we jointly share that easement coming into both of our properties.”
Buford King, Foley projects director, said the work by city and county will allow Riviera Utilities to provide services to the site.
“The two easements, working together, will give Riviera the access they need to bring power into the first responder safe room,” King said.
Foley is also adding more lighting to the safe room site. The council also approved a resolution to add three decorative street lights on East Berry Avenue where the facility is under construction.
Construction of the safe room began earlier this year. The facility is scheduled for completion in 2027.
When complete, the safe room will provide a location for firefighters, police and other emergency responders to take shelter during a hurricane or other event. The building can also be used as a training center when not being utilized as a shelter.
Plans call for the shelter to house more than 200 people during a hurricane. The facility will be constructed to withstand winds of up to 200 miles an hour.
The safe room will also be equipped with a 400 kilowatt generator that can run on either natural gas or diesel fuel. The building will include kitchen facilities and everything needed to house personnel during an emergency.
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