More emergency services may be available soon on the east side of town.

The Athens-Limestone Hospital Board of Directors voted Tuesday to donate three acres of land on south Lindsay Lane to the City of Athens.

The property is being considered as a site for a new fire station, said Athens Mayor Dan Williams. A substation, Station No. 2 on Freeman Avenue, would be moved to the Lindsay Lane location and the old facility would be closed.

“The property would also have an extra bay for an ambulance, as well. So what you’re talking about here is more emergency services to the east side,“ said Williams.

Athens Fire Chief Cliff Christopher agrees.

“Traffic is just a nightmare trying to get on U.S. 72, Highway 31 or even I-65 now, this will give us better response times in the area,” he said.

In addition to the new station, Athens is planning to update the intersection at U.S. 72 and Lindsay Lane.

Christopher said the city plans to install an Opticom System there in which the fire truck will have the ability to trigger the light green to aid with getting out of the station.

Designs for the new station are in the first stages and no construction date is set, Williams said.

Athens Public Works Director James Rich, City Council President Jimmy Gill and Christopher visited fire stations in Gardendale and Madison Wednesday as a part of their on-going research for the new station design.

“This is just looking at the future. The speed to which it will happen will depend on the councilmen,” Williams said.

Christopher said his firefighters are looking forward to adequate storage and sizable bay areas for their equipment and trucks that they just don’t have now at Station No. 2.

“Station No. 2 was built in 1969, it has served its purpose and now we need something that serves what our needs are today,” he said.

The City of Athens currently has three stations across the city, the main fire station located on Marion Street, a sub-station on Lucas Ferry Road and the location on Freeman Avenue.