Former school property in line to be new fire station

The future for the former Fair Play school property will apparently rest with the community’s volunteer fire department. Terry Swain announced to a community meeting yesterday that a recommendation will be made to the board of Fair-Oak Youth Center to deed the five-acre former school property to the community fire department. Once the location of a community high school, the property was deeded in 2006 to the Youth Center after it ceased being an elementary school. Fire Chief Larry Wilkerson says space is tight at the current station, and he predicted the day will eventually come when Fair Play will require fire protection on the basis of 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Two of three remaining buildings on the property are considered beyond repair. The cafeteria is worth saving, although it needs a new roof. Demolition of the gym and classroom buildings won’t occur any time soon. There’s no money currently available for demolition, and the community meeting heard County Council Chairwoman Edda Cammick quote County Administrator Scott Moulder as saying a new asbestos abatement study is needed. Between 30 and 40 people attended yesterday’s meeting. Swain said it was her hope someone would arrive with a big check or donate proceeds from a winning lottery ticket, but that didn’t happen.