News 12 at 11 o'clock, September 30, 2008

AUGUSTA, Ga. --- More problems with Augusta's fire hydrants. One local man who's already lost part of his business to a fire says he's been waiting for almost a year and a half for a hydrant.

He tells news 12 he's even offered to pay for part of it - ionly if the city holds up their end of the deal but the city is still dragging its feet. Glenn Rhodes says he's tired of all the red tape.

That devastating fire from May 2007 destroyed a large portion of his flea market business. He says he's been trying to rebuild but until there's a crucial item in place - his hands are tied.

Rhodes has waited sixteen months to rebuild part of the Augusta Flea Market but he's waiting for a water source. He says the city promised him a fire hydrant within three months, but those three months have come and gone.
In order to get a city permit to build a fire hydrant must be located within 500 feet of a new structure. Rhodes' flea market business is still open but he says his profits have suffered because of the wait. He also claims there should have already been a fire hydrant in place - long before the fire.

The nearest fire hydrant to the Augusta Flea Market is located at Nixon and Winter Roads - that's about a half a mile away from Rhode's flea market. Fire officials even went on record the day of the fire to say had there been a fire hydrant closer, part of the building may have been spared.

Rhodes says he's been told the new cost to install and run the water line for a fire hydrant is about 30,000 dollars and he says the city wants him to pay for part of the installation. He says that he's already spent thousands of dollars for surveys and other plans and the city is not holding up their end of the deal.