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The three Rockbridge area jurisdictions are closing this week on a purchase of land that is to be the future site for the Rockbridge Area Department of Social Services. The site is behind the Food Lion in Buena Vista, at the intersection of U.S. 60 (East Midland Trail) and Va. 608 (Forge Road).
Both Buena Vista and Lexington city councils formally approved the purchase at their regular meetings this past Thursday. Individual members of the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors approved the regional purchase, said County Administrator Spencer Suter on Tuesday.
The purchase price for the approximately 6 acres of land is $438,000. Based on other regional agreements, the costs are being divided among the localities based on population. The county’s share of the purchase price is $270,246, or 61.7 percent of the price. Lexington’s share is $88,476 (20.2 percent) and Buena Vista’s is $79,278 (18.1 percent).
An actual regional agreement over ownership, maintenance and operations of the planned new facility is being finalized by attorneys representing each of the jurisdictions. It will likely be similar to other regional agreements such as those governing the regional jail and the regional 911 dispatching center.
The land purchase concludes a nearly decade-long search for a site to relocate RADSS from its current location on Preston Street in downtown Lexington. RADSS’s current facilities have long been considered inadequate due to space and security concerns.
An announcement of the site selection was made in January. Local government officials expressed the hope that the new building will be able to accommodate other regional government agencies in the future such as the health department and rural water association.
Staff writer Joseph Haney contributed information to this story.
