020711 New building rises from the ashes of the Care Center barn
By Sharon Haught
February 1, 2011
283
For over 150 years the historic bank barn behind the Wayne County Care Center stood in silent testimony to the skill of the local craftsmen who built it entirely by hand.
In the early morning hours of May 26, 2009 this important piece of Wayne Countys agricultural heritage was lost when fire swept through the Civil War era structure, leaving behind only the charred remains of the hand hewn timbers that had supported its roof since 1851.
But from the ashes of one of the most significant fires in Wayne County history a new building has risen.
Over the course of the past several months crews from Classical Construction of Apple Creek have put the finishing touches on a new 88 X 48 pole barn style building that will serve the diverse needs of three different local government agencies.
During the January 26 meeting of the Wayne County Commissioners, Commissioner Scott Wiggam described how the three bay building will be used jointly by the Wayne County Care Center, the Wayne County Emergency Management Agency and the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste Management District.
The diverse needs of each organization were taken into consideration in drawing up the plans for the building.
One of the three bays in the building will be used by the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste Management District to store and service the organizations recycling truck. According to Wiggam, because those activities require heat and electricity, both services were included in the buildings design specifications.
A second bay will be used by the Wayne County Emergency Management Agency to house their command vehicle.
I do appreciate you making that available to me, Wayne County Emergency Management Agency Director John Wise told the commissioners during the meeting.
I thank you for the opportunity to put the command vehicle in there because it makes it a lot easier if we have to go out and do some work on the vehicle, said Wise.
The third and final bay in the building will be used to meet the needs of the Wayne County Care Center and will include a wash bay for all three groups to use to clean vehicles.
This is a great partnership between three different entities that all had a need for a facility and we were able to work together and build one facility that suits everybody, said Commissioner Ann Obrecht.
Because of a unique partnership amongst the three agencies, no general fund dollars were expended to construct the $138,000 building.
According to Wiggam the building was paid for with a combination of property insurance proceeds received by the county when the Care Center barn was destroyed and a $100,000 payment by the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste Management District.
During the January 26 meeting, the commissioners unanimously approved a 20 year lease between the county and the Joint Solid Waste District for the lease of the facility.
According to Obrecht because the Joint Solid Waste District contributed such a large portion of the cost of the construction of the building, the lease calls for no monthly or annual lease payments to the county.
Obrecht noted that because the Joint Solid Waste Districts needs include heat and electricity, that organization is responsible for paying the electric and gas bills for the building. The county will assume responsibility for any sewer charges on the building.
