The Kent Harrison Search and Rescue team is getting ready to start construction on a new building.
Marv Anderson, president of KHSAR, said acquisition of a parcel of land from the District of Kent (at the north end of Cameron Road) is finally complete and the team can now start on the building itself.
Plans are being developed for the 5,000+ sq ft structure that will house all the group’s equipment as well as providing office and training facilities. With $250,000 of the $600,000 total estimated cost already in place, team members are working on fundraising ideas and grant applications to raise the remaining $350,000.
The district has been able to house the SAR team in the old highways buildings on Cheam Avenue for the past 12 years, but that was only intended as a temporary solution. Plans to include the group in a new Emergency Services Building with fire and ambulance three years ago fell through when the final cost escalated to $4 million, said Anderson.
While an appropriate design and construction method is being finalized, Kent Harrison SAR has made a $25,000 payment to BC Hydro to extend power lines and poles to the site.
The next phase of the project is the architectural and engineering process to produce a set of building plans and specifications for approval by the municipality. The structure has to be built to ‘post-disaster’ standards, which increases costs when compared to a more conventional storage facility. Completion will depend on the team’s ability to raise the balance of the funding. Anderson added that any assistance that can be provided would be most appreciated. Progress on the project can be viewed on the Kent Harrison SAR website at www.khsar.com.
