Bourbon County to apply for grant to build shelter, center in Garland

GARLAND -- Residents of the small southeastern Bourbon County town have shown they are in favor of the construction of a new community center and storm shelter.

"If it's here, people we'll use it," Garland resident Neil Underwood said during a public meeting Thursday in the Garland Park. "We haven't had a new building in years."

During that meeting, which was attended by about 15 people, local residents voiced their support for a proposed new $235,000, 5,000-square-foot community center and storm shelter on Main Street across from the old fire station in Garland. Residents were also able to view preliminary construction plans for the facility.

Long-time Garland resident Bill Hamilton purchased the land where the facility would be built and sold it to the township, Bloomfield said. Hamilton was also present at the meeting to lend his support to the project.

"I've lived here for 80 years and this is a great thing for Garland," Hamilton said.

The purpose of the meeting, which was sponsored by the Drywood Township Board, was to seek input and feedback from the community on whether or not town officials should seek grants to build a 40-by-60-foot facility that would also contain an 8-by-20-foot steel reinforced storm shelter, Drywood Township Trustee Darrell Bloomfield said.

Neither structure exists in the tiny town, which has a population of about 60 people. Drywood Township contains about 300 people, Bloomfield said.

"Garland needs a place for people to meet," he said.

The meeting was also attended by Laura Moore, a certified grant administrator at Pittsburg State University, and Bourbon County Commissioner Bill Brittain, who presides over the Second District, including Drywood Township. Moore's firm was chosen by Drywood Township to look into grant possibilities for the facility's construction. Rick Zingre is the architect for the building.

Construction of the facility would cost about $235,000 for labor, materials, architect fees and other expenses, Moore said.

Brittain said township officials have taken the right steps thus far to get the project moving in the right direction.

"This is a great project, not just for Garland and the township, but for the entire county," Brittain said.

Brittain said he met with Federal Emergency Management officials last week to see about obtaining a possible FEMA grant to help build the community center and storm shelter. FEMA has moved funding to finance the construction of storm shelters in small communities up the ladder, Brittain said. Bloomfield said town officials are hoping to receive a FEMA grant, which would provide more money to build the facility.

The deadline for town officials to apply for the grant is Nov. 1. Moore said officials should know by early January if the FEMA grant has been received.

Officials will try to get a FEMA grant first, and then will look at the possibility of a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Brittain said. A CDBG is issued by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to fund local community development activities such as affordable housing and infrastructure development, and are used at the discretion of state and local governments.

The informational meeting on Thursday was the first in a series of steps Drywood Township must take to get the construction project off the ground. The next step involves the township board appearing before the Bourbon County Commission to request a public hearing, where the board would ask the commission to submit a grant application on behalf of Drywood Township.

The proposed facility would contain a small storage space and mechanical area. The building would also feature solid concrete walls, reinforced doors, and propane heat, so that in the event of a power outage, there will be stoves inside the facility for people to cook on, Bloomfield said. A safe room inside the building would provide food and shelter for about 35 people, while the remainder of the building could be used as a community center for community gatherings and special events.

The new building would also allow the connection of a generator that residents could use in case of an emergency, such as a power outage, and would also contain two full-size restrooms.

Bourbon County crews have volunteered to complete the dirt work on the proposed construction site, Brittain said. The lot the building will be constructed on is about 7,500 square feet.

The Thursday meeting also allowed time for a question-and-answer session in which residents could get more information on details of the building. Garland resident Ruth Waring asked if funds will be available for the town to be able to pay utilities on the building.

"Don't worry about the money part," Bloomfield said. "That'll get taken care of."