A new Highlands Fire Department moved one step closer to fruition on Thursday when the town board approved a rezoning request for the property and accepted a not-to-exceed bid price from contractor DR Reynolds Company.
During a public hearing regarding the rezoning of the parcel at 149 Franklin Road the only question from the public concerned the traffic impact of locating the fire department on a busy thoroughfare.
“We have worked with the NC Department of Transportation to look at the traffic, and they saw no issue with that location,” Highlands Fire Chief Ryan Gearhart said. “We are looking into the possibility of putting warning signs, for when a call comes in, to notify motorists that emergency vehicles will be entering the roadway. Something similar to what you see when you drive down NC 106 at the Sky Valley turnoff, where the turn is marked with flashing lights when a vehicle is approaching.”