Tuesday, Jan.10, 2023–11:47 a.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
The City of Rome is purchasing 47 acres of land on Riverside Parkway.
The property is located east of 10 acres of a city owned-parcel between the Floyd County Department of Family and Children Services and the senior center. It backs up to Riverside Industrial Boulevard.
“It’s two parcels currently owned by Environmental Rehab, LLC,” said Rome City Manager Sammy Rich. “The purchase price is $400,000.”
One possible use for the property could be a new reverse osmosis facility for the water department.
The filtration system to remove toxic chemicals from the Oostanaula River might be cheaper and would probably be much less complicated if a new facility is constructed down the hill as opposed to converting the existing facility.
The City of Rome filed a civil lawsuit in 2019 against several chemical and carpet manufacturers in Dalton, including 3M, seeking to recover the costs of filtering Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, and other chemicals from its drinking water supply.
Rich added he is still in the process of seeking a new home for the Rome Police Department, which will be moving out of the joint law enforcement center as part of an agreement for the distribution of local option sales tax funds.
When asked if Riverside Parkway could be a possible option, Rich said he would not rule it out.
There are also possible plans for an adjoining piece of city-owned property, the relocation of the Rome-Floyd Fire Department headquarters, which is being pitched as a possible special purpose, local option sales tax project.
During a city commission planning retreat in November, Fire Chief Troy Brock presented an artist’s rendering of the proposed building, which would also house administration and a fire history museum.
The drawing shows the museum with an arch that replicates the one at the firefighter’s memorial near Rome’s city hall.