New offices will better serve public

THE ISSUE: Westside county offices open for business.
OUR OPINION: It was a good move.

After a decade of struggling with a leaky roof, cramped working quarters, not enough bathrooms for employees and the public, and flooding issues in the parking lot, county officials opened the doors to its new county office building at Meadowcrest last week. 

The county commission’s decision to relocate constitutional officers’ offices from the city of Crystal River to an unincorporated area outside city limits rightfully drew scrutiny. Tension between the city and County Commissioner Dennis Damato was very public. 

However, in fairness, city officials did little to sway commissioners during its five-year search to find a west-side location. Suggestions of revamping a few of the blighted buildings on U.S. 19 w as not embraced by the commission and it moved forward on the Meadowcrest location.

In the end, Damato made things happen and the county signed on the dotted line with Stan Olsen, the owner of the property. This move is a long-term solution and will not only meet the needs of today but also down the road as the county grows.

With the move behind us, one of the top concerns we now have with the new location is safely accessing the office off of State Road 44 and County Road 486. A traffic signal is desperately needed at both ends of the thoroughfare.

Turning left into the site from S.R. 44 eastbound and turning east onto S.R. 44 when leaving the county office create situations in which a fatal accident is likely to happen. Factor in the new Family Dollar store across the street, shoppers coming and going from Winn Dixie and county employees going home at the end of the day, and traffic is going to be a very dangerous problem.

While we would urge the state Department of Transportation to recognize the dangerous situation and install a signal, the county is prepared to absorb the $200,000 project. That’s prudent, as safety of the public is a priority.