Hot Springs officials address fireworks fire mishap, new cell tower construction

HOT SPRINGS - Disaster was avoided in Hot Springs after the volunteer fire department was able to put out a fire caused by the town's fireworks display near the downtown area July 1.

Hot Springs Volunteer Fire Department Chief Josh Norton confirmed no one was injured in the fire, which took place near a town water tank along Reservoir Road.

In the Hot Springs Town Board's July 3 meeting, Dan Meyers with HSVFD aimed to clear up some confusion regarding an emergency call he sent out.

"Just for the record, we did have a truck up there that was full of water," Meyers said. "I guess my communication on the radio when I said, 'I need more manpower and water,' I should have said 'more manpower and more water,' because apparently there's a bunch of rumors going around."

According to Mayor Abby Norton, the town shoots the fireworks behind the Reservoir Road water tank, near where the fire broke out.

The board also received updates on two projects: the upcoming cell tower construction and the bridge construction.

Last May, the town Planning Board approved a conditional use permit to applicant CitySwitch to build a cell tower at 172 S. Andrews Ave., behind the Peerless Blowers facility. CitySwitch is a wireless tower developer based in Atlanta that works with communications corporations such as AT&T.

According to Laura Holloway, the town's tax collector and Town Hall clerk, construction on the project will begin around April 2024.

Gray Styers, an attorney with Raleigh-based firm Fox Rothschild LLP, represented the applicant.

"It is a built-to-suit realty company that works with AT&T's engineers to decide where AT&T does not have coverage and wishes to have coverage," Styers said of CitySwitch.

The applicant proposed a 199-foot tower on the property, which is zoned Industrial (I). 

"It's the only location in the town where a tower is allowed," Styers said. "It would be able to accommodate not only AT&T, although the location was determined by AT&T engineers, but your ordinance requires that it be able to accommodate four other collocation antennas, for carriers such as Verizon, T-Mobile and so forth. So, it's structurally capable to accommodate four other carriers. It's capable of supporting those antennas and basically meet all your code standards in the harshest of weather conditions." 

The News-Record met in March 2022 with Hot Springs Police Chief David Shelton, and the chief said he felt the cell tower would help his department carry out its mission of ensuring the safety of Hot Springs residents. 

"We depend on our cellphones out here," Shelton said. "Right now, I'm dropping calls like crazy. When I'm out here in the middle of the night and I don't have any radio service, I just hope and pray my cellphone's going to work. People are trying to (oppose) the cellphone tower, but they're not the ones out here risking their lives at night, and hoping and praying that in a bad situation someone's coming to you. That's your only means of communication."

Bridge Street Bridge project update

Mayor Norton said she also spoke with representatives at TGS Engineers, a Shelby-based engineering company that specializes in bridge repairs that was contracted by NCDOT to work with the town for the water and sewer relocation for the Bridge Street Bridge replacement project.

TGS Engineers' work on the bridge will begin with utility operations in June 2023.

According to Norton, TGS officials now expect the project to begin October 2024.

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Zoning Administrator Ben Houser said the bridge work will be extensive.

"There is a 2-inch sewer line on the existing bridge," Houser said. "DOT doesn't allow utilities on the new bridges anymore, so we're actually going to have to go under the river instead of attaching it to the new bridge."

According to Houser, TGS Engineers has been contracted by DOT to perform the utility operations, and a different company will perform the roadway and bridge portion of the project.

Johnny Casey is the Madison County communities reporter for The News-Record & Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network. Email him at jcasey@newsrecordandsentinel.com.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Hot Springs officials address fireworks fire mishap, new cell tower