Polk County commissioners agreed this week to purchase two acres in Columbus that could be used as the site for a new building for the county&39;s department of social services.

Commissioners met on Monday and agreed to purchase two acres on Park Street in Columbus (see map, page 3) for $95,000. The vote was approved 4-1, with commissioner Harry Denton voting against the motion.

Commissioners have said their hopes are to move DSS, mental health services and other offices out of the aging Jervey Palmer building in Tryon into a new building they plan to construct on Park Street.

If that location does not work out for some reason in the future, commissioners said the property is still a good purchase for the price in a location zoned for government buildings.

Commissioners also recently purchased the former Carolina Classical School in Columbus, which they plan to use as a new home for the Meeting Place Senior Center, currently located in the Jervey Palmer building. All Jervey Palmer offices could not be moved to the former school because of space issues and because the location is not zoned for government buildings.