COLUMBUS – The new Polk County Law Enforcement Center is expected to be complete in December 2017. 

The Polk County Board of Commissioners met Monday, Aug. 22 and heard from county manager Marche Pittman who reviewed the schedule for the new law enforcement center as well as an environmental phase I study and appraisal of the land.

Clearing has already begun on the site, which is located off Hwy. 108, just outside Columbus adjacent to the Milliken property.

The appraisal also revealed that the property is worth $2,080,000, or $106,068 per acre, according to Valbridge Property Advisors.

Polk County at first purchased 2.6 acres located at 221 Park St., Columbus for $125,000 and later a 19.19-acre parcel adjacent to the Park Street property for $1,950,000, for a total purchase price of $2,075,000.

Valbridge Property Advisors said they based the appraisal of the property on just 19.61 acres instead of the total 21.79 acres because approximately 10 percent of the property is not usable because of the presence of a creek on the property.

“The site measures approximately 21.79 acres, or 949,172-square feet,” Valbridge advisors said. “However, based upon the presence of a creek, we have estimated that approximately 10 percent of the site is not developable. Therefore, we will analyze the subject based upon the net usable acreage currently estimated at 19.61 acres.”

In discussing the schedule, Pittman said right now everything seems to be on track. Pittman was asked by commissioners during the county’s last meeting to return with a schedule to meet N.C. Local Government Commission (LGC) deadlines. The county plans to finance the new jail and sheriff’s office, with construction estimated to cost $11 million, not including engineering, architectural work and other expenses. Polk County approved its new budget in June, which began July 1 with a two-cent tax increase in order to begin paying for the new jail. The county has plans for future tax increases, currently proposed at six cents total over three years in order to pay for the new jail.

According to the county’s schedule, requests for proposals are scheduled to go to banks for financing quotes on Sept. 1; construction documents will be ready to go out to bid on Sept. 2 with those bids due on Sept. 15; a public hearing on the financing is scheduled for Oct. 3; the LGC application is due Oct. 4; the LGC is scheduled to consider the approval of the bond on Nov. 1 and construction is scheduled to begin in either November or December this year and be complete in one year, or December 2017.

The Phase I environmental site assessment (ESA) was completed by Altamont Engineering in July, with no recognized environmental conditions observed.

“The purpose of this phase I ESA was to identify the presence or likely presence of hazardous substances or petroleum products on the site under conditions that indicate an existing release, a past release, or a material threat of a release of hazardous substances or petroleum products into structures on the site or into the ground, groundwater or surface water of the site as defined in ASTM Practice E1527-13 as a recognized environmental condition (REC),” Altamont said in a report to the county. “The review of the site, records review and interviews, revealed no RECs associated with the site.”

Altamont said although there were not RECs reported, they did observe a potential environmental concern.

Altamont said evidence of dumping/discarding household waste and other inert debris was observed near the residential areas of the site.

“While staining indicative of petroleum or hazardous products was not observed, the presence of this debris indicates the potential of a previously undocumented or potential future environmental risk to the site,” said Almamont.

Altamont also noted that there is site clearing taking place adjacent to an on-site stream and erosion control measure were not observed and runoff and silt deposit was visible. Altamont recommended clearing activities be completed in accordance with local and state guidance.