Cherokee Fire Station On Sugar Pike Road To Be Expanded

CANTON, GA — Land for expansion of an existing fire station – and possibly a new station in the future – soon will belong to Cherokee County following a vote of the board of commissioners Jan. 19 to purchase 2 acres on Sugar Pike Road.

The board approved the $104,000 purchase with a unanimous vote. District 2 Commissioner Richard Weatherby made the motion to approve, which was seconded by District 4 Commissioner Corey Ragsdale.

Fire Chief Tim Prather said the existing station was built many years ago by volunteers and never was intended to house career firefighters.

“We have modified it over the years to accommodate some housing, but we have simply outgrown it," Prather said. “We currently have the need to add more personnel to the station, but it’s too small.”

The current Station 32 is located on a half-acre with no room on which to build a new station. With the purchase of the adjacent property, the county will be able to add living space on to the existing station, leaving some room to grow in the future.

“This will buy us a few years until the next SPLOST,” Prather said. “If all goes well, we would have enough property to construct a new station on the site with the additional land."