County to build new fire station

WALDO – The fire station in Waldo might see some change, but the residents probably won’t notice anything different about the service.

Alachua County, which took over the fire department for the City of Waldo two years ago, will be building a new fire station in town.

“The fire department went to the county about two years ago because we could no longer afford it,” said Kim Worley, Waldo’s city manager.

The city is still working out the deal, but is already in the process of selecting the land and getting it surveyed. The station will be moving from its current 14380 Earle St. location, and the new location will be at the corner of U.S. Highway 301 and N.E. 144^th Ave. at the bottom of Cole Street.

The land will be donated to the City of Waldo, which they will then donate to the county to build the new station. Waldo will also be able to keep the building that the fire department is currently housed in as a part of the deal. The new land is 5.9 acres and valued about at $32,400, Worley said. However, the city will get it for free.

“We will be paying for the survey, the title search and then our attorney will draw up a contract once we have a legal description of the property,” Worley said.

Residents in Waldo may be anxious about this change, but they can be assured it will not mean a changeover in staff or loss of jobs.

“If anything, the station will be larger so they could add additional staffing,” Worley said. “Otherwise it is all the same, just a new location,”

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