The county is still looking for a suitable location for a new animal shelter and Commissioner Blaine Wilcher suggested both the old National Guard Armory and reaching out to Stacey Harvey.
At the county Health and Welfare Committee meeting Thursday night, commissioners discussed options for a new animal shelter location. The discussion was brought on following a lumber donation announcement.
“So there is hope of getting a different location?” asked Manager of Pro and Lumber Jodi Cetwinkski.
“Right now our problem is we have to find some ground. The county doesn’t have any ground sitting idle where we can go build something now,” said County Executive Terry Bell.
Bell says they will need two or more acres for the new site. Wilcher inquired about the old National Guard Armory building and Bell likes that location.
“If something were to happen and we get the National Guard building, the building would already be there,” said Wilcher.
“That would be ideal in my opinion. Right over there would be ideal because that way you could work with the inmates,” said Bell.
Bell is hoping the new location would be able to be seen from the road as the current one is hidden away. Wilcher says he likes the location of the shelter now, but he wants a better building.
“I have always said I like this location. I don’t like the building, but I like the location because most shelters I have been to are not on the beaten path,” said Wilcher.
Wilcher also mentioned he hated the idea of building onto the existing building if a new building is coming soon.
“Could we do some more excavation work back here if we are going to sit here for years?” asked Cetwinkski.
“I don’t think you’ll have to sit here for years. We are going to have to find a place and you know how it is. We will have to draw up plans and it will take construction,” said Bell.
“Are there no abandoned buildings? No metal buildings that we can use?” asked Cetwinkski.
“That is the trouble with Warren County. There are very few vacant buildings in the county. They have been scooped up,” said Bell.
Wilcher suggested reaching out to Harvey who previously offered to donate materials for an expansion at Animal Control. This arrangement fell through when former County Executive Jimmy Haley asked to see permits.
“This might be a good time to talk to Stacy Harvey again. We had an expansion donated twice in the last eight years and we couldn’t take it for whatever reason,” said Wilcher. “There is a possibility because they were willing to go twice and we couldn’t make it happen on our side.”
A new location was not decided on at this meeting, and Bell encouraged everyone to keep an eye out for a suitable location.
