Rutherford County committee backs site work, design work for new Weekley Lane EMS station and related parking and forensic site work

The Rutherford County Public Safety Committee on Jan. 27 voted to forward a package of site work and design requests — including a proposed EMS station on Weekley Lane and site work for the county clerk’s satellite parking and a forensic center — to property management and the county budget office with a positive recommendation.

The proposal, presented by the mayor and county staff, would place a new EMS station on a roughly 17-acre county parcel near Weekley Lane and G Street and build a station modeled on the county’s Rutherford Boulevard EMS facility with modifications to add crew space and a deeper apparatus bay. The committee approved forwarding site engineering and architect services and asked staff to return with final construction costs.

Why it matters: County leaders said the north end of Rutherford County has been under strain as population has grown; the proposal is intended to reduce out-of-area ambulance responses and shorten response times in Smyrna, La Vergne and other northern communities.

County leaders and staff described the planned project and immediate next steps. Mayor (unnamed) told the committee the county is now the state’s fourth-largest county and growing…