County board OKs grandstand demo, still looking into controlled burn
Published 4:02 pm Tuesday, October 9, 2012
One thing is for certain: The grandstand is coming down.
The county board unanimously voted Tuesday to demolish the condemned grandstand of the Mower County Fairgrounds.
“We consider it cost prohibitive to rehabilitate,” said Commissioner Jerry Reinartz.
Questions still remain as to how the structure will be removed.
One option is to have the Austin Fire Department do a controlled burn, but first an environmental inspection is needed to see whether there is asbestos, lead paint, fluorescent lights or any other potential hazards in the structure.
Public Works Director Mike Hanson said a similar inspection is done whenever a bridge is taken down in the county.
Hanson will seek bids on a traditional demolition in case the county is not able to take down the grandstand through a controlled burn.
If the county opts for the controlled burn, the fire department is requesting about $2,200 reimbursement for about six hours of operations. The date may have to change
The county board is planning to decide on Oct. 23 how to demolish the structure.