Board Approves Funding to Move Forward With Eagle Rock Property Cleanup
The Botetourt County Board of Supervisors approved additional funding to move forward with the cleanup and remediation of a collapsed building at 72 Railroad Avenue in Eagle Rock.
The Board unanimously approved $24,000 in County funding to cover the remaining project shortfall and allow the County to proceed and awarded the project to the lowest responsive bid, A. R. Coffey & Sons, Inc.
The Board requested the additional $24,000 be funded from available money within the County's existing budget.
The action allows the County to proceed with the property cleanup while grant funding remains available and within the extended project deadline.
Had the County pursued the cleanup at the time of the collapse without grant assistance, the estimated cost to taxpayers would have been approximately $132,000.
The Background
The building partially collapsed in November 2023. At the request of the property owner, Botetourt County pursued grant funding through the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to remove the structure and remediate the property.
Following the award of VDEM grant funding, the County issued an Invitation for Bids to qualified contractors. The County received seven bids, ranging from $225,051 to $883,959. All seven bids exceeded the amount of grant funding initially available.
County staff worked with VDEM to remove optional grant line items and rebalance the available funding, bringing the amount available for direct site-remediation work to $108,444.
Even after those adjustments, the lowest bid left a $23,782 funding shortfall.
County staff also worked with VDEM to determine whether additional FEMA funding could be pursued. While additional funding may have been possible, the process would have been lengthy and would not have guaranteed additional funding. It also would have required the project to be rebid, creating a risk that construction costs could increase.
FEMA granted the County a one-year extension to complete the project, establishing a new period-of-performance deadline of Sept. 30, 2027. Staff recommended moving forward with the project now rather than risk increased costs or the loss of grant funding.
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