Commissioners approve new Fort Belknap arbor structure

After a lot of discussion including a failed motion, the Young County Commissioners approved a design and bid for a new grape arbor structure at Fort Belknap.

The new structure is the next phase of a multi-year revitalization project for the historic arbor which began with the pruning of the west side in January.

The commissioner discussed three separate bids from Lee Wiley Burch Construction company. The first bid consisted of a steel structure with a flat top for a cost of $14,646.40. However, Fort Belknap Director and Caretaker Jim Hammond said he would not recommend a structure which required welding.

“But, I think having that thing bolted up (is the way to go,)” Hammond said.” It’s hard to do construction underneath that thing if we do pipes in there, we would have to get a cutting torch and nobody wants to be the one that sets the thing on fire. I think bolting, if you have a piece that needs to be replaced it is a lot easier to get in there to replace it. It takes less crew, less work if you can get in there in do that. That is really my only suggestion of me and (Texas A&M AgriLife Viticulturist) Michael Cook have  is to have it bolted.”

The commissioners agreed with Hammond and ruled the first bid off the table.

Young County Judge John Bullock was in favor of the second option which consisted of 28 pipe posts with 45 pipe cross bars and a flat top for a cost of $19.396.

“My opinion is that the more structural correct and historically correct of these proposals is obviously the most expensive,” Bullock said. “I talked to Lee Wiley about that too and he thinks the one (we should do.)”

Commissioner Pct. 4 Jimmy Wiley was in favor of the third option which consisted of a steel post structure with a pitched roof for a cost of $16,736.

“The one that I propose, it has got a two fold usage, it may not be historical looking, but once it gets covered up in vines it’s not going to matter what it looks like,” Wiley said. “The second thing is an unforeseen thing might happen at one point, who knows. If those were to ever die, we would have a flat roof, that you can’t do nothing with and would have to add more structure to it.”

He added with his proposal if the arbor was to ever die, the county could simply add a metal roof to the top which would make it a usable facility with more room underneath it for equipment and manuevering.

Commissioners of Precincts 2 and 3, Matt Pruitt and Stacey Rogers, said they could see both of Wiley’s and Bullock’s points on their preferred structure.

Wiley made a motion for the court to approve the bid for the option including the pitched roof. After some discussion, Pruitt seconded the motion and Bullock voted against the motion Precinct 1 Commissioner Mike Sipes then opted to abstain from the vote because he did not have a preference on the structure.  After some thought, Rogers opted to vote against the motion resulting in a failed motion at 2-2-1.

For the rest of the story, see the Wednesday, Aug. 28 edition of The Graham Leader.