[Editor's note: Rincon Fire Chief Lou Reed submitted a correction to his quote regarding the contents of the warehouse near Blandford Elementary. This article has been edited to include Chief Reed's correction.]
By Barbara Augsdorfer, Editor for the Effingham Herald
Three pieces of potential good news for residents were discussed at the Rincon City Council meeting Aug. 26.
Veteran’s Park – now a bare rectangle of land at the corner of Hwy. 21 and 17th street – is about to be landscaped and ready for the public.
The city’s millage rate was officially rolled back to zero, meaning a continuation of no city property taxes for homeowners.
The proposed Rincon Farmer’s Market will be the subject of an upcoming City Council workshop to finalize the logistics such as location, day, and time; along with police traffic direction and the number of vendors. If Freedom Park is the set location, the city and the market organizers will have to work around set events such as the Spring Fair, the rodeo, and July fourth festivities.
The farmer’s market is proposed to be a weekly event according to its organizer, Stephanie Mondt.
Warehouse near Blandford
In addition to these three items, the council discussed concerns with the contents of a warehouse near Blandford Elementary. Councilmember Mona Underwood said she brought up the issue at a recent city-county event.
“I brought up the fact that the warehouse across from Blanford (Elementary) and it backs up to Lowe's, possibly, is storing polyvinyl chloride pellets,” Underwood said.
"The warehouse in Effingham County off McCall Road South (contains) polypropylene and/or polyethylene. No fertilizer (is) at this location and no polyvinyl chloride," Fire Chief Lou Reed wrote in a statement Sept.10.
Underwood expressed concerns raised regarding when the rail cars and trucks are rinsed before anything else can be put in them; and asked if that rinse water was ending up in local storm drain systems.
“And then people start asking if there are plans in place if something should happen,” Underwood said.
“They have an oil and water separator when they wash their trucks out so that doesn't happen (to get) into the sanitary sewer system,” Chief Reed assured the council. “(Effingham County Fire and Rescue Chief) Clint (Hodges) and I have talked at length of what we would do if something happened at that facility.”
He added that when fertilizer ignites it creates a bomb. “We’ve all seen it. Oklahoma City,” Reed said referring to the April 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building where 168 people were killed including 19 children.
“And polyvinyl chloride is Palestine, Ohio,” Underwood added, referring to the February 2023 train derailment near East Palestine, Ohio.
“Correct,” Chief Reed said, adding that when the warehouse was built, there was no oversight and “We didn’t know what was going in there.”
Underwood added, “That’s what we talked about at this (city-county) dinner. We have to have some continuity in our codes that don’t allow these things (such as chemicals near schools).”
Underwood pressed Reed about a plan should “something bad” happen there. “What’s the radius you’d have to evacuate?” she asked.
“At least a square mile,” Reed said.
Councilmember Brandy Riley asked Reed directly, “Do you have a plan on paper specifically for this facility?”
“It’s not our facility anymore,” Reed said.
“But it is our responsibility,” Riley answered.
Chief Reed said he would write up an emergency plan for this facility.
Veteran’s Park
The plot of land in front of the library was scraped bare a few weeks ago, but in the next 100 days or so, Rincon hopes Veteran’s Park along Hwy 21 will be showpiece.
City Council hopes the park’s grand coming-out party is the annual Christmas Tree Lighting in December.
“Ms. Riley requested a tree that can be seen in Springfield,” said Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Exley. “And I will definitely second that because I want to see the biggest tree we can possibly get there.”
The sketch plan shows that the new park will have plenty of green space for community gatherings surrounded by 31 crape myrtles, five southern magnolias, and 19 live oaks. Surrounding shrubbery includes little leaf boxwoods and dwarf Yaupon holly.
When completed, the park will be a place of remembrance and reflection.
“The monument that’s already there will be at one end and Peggy Cowan and her family are donating a bronze sculpture for the other side,” said Councilmember Michelle Taylor.
“And we’ll be selling bricks if you want to buy a brick (to honor) a family member,” Taylor added. “We’re getting that all together,” Taylor added regarding the cost and how to purchase the bricks.
“The Cowan family is donating a bronze statue in memory of Christan Cowan” Peggy Cowan said. “It’s being commissioned by Randolph Rose out of New York.”
Cowan added the statue will be of two children climbing a rock and waving an American flag.
“We’re going to call it, ‘We love our country’ or something to that effect,” Cowan added. “The statue will represent patriotism and to honor the families of those who served.”
The statue will take about eight to 10 months to complete. Cowan said the statue will be seven-feet tall, be on a pedestal, and will be illuminated at night.
Rincon Farmer’s Market
Stephanie Mondt, organizer for the proposed Farmer’s Market, updated the council saying she has sponsorship from Coastal Greenspce Guardians and just needs to work out logistics with the council before the farmer’s markets can begin.
A few minutes of back-and-forth discussion ensued with Councilmember Taylor saying that since Coastal Greenspace Guardians is a 501(c)3 organization, the rental fees for the location of the farmer’s market should be waived.
“It’s a service to the community,” Taylor said.
The partnership with Coastal Greenspace Guardians stresses that events have an educational component.
“We really want to stress the link between agriculture (and) Effingham,” Mondt said. “That’s our heritage. We really want to lean into that – having a monthly theme for the kids, hands on, learning about pollination, how food is grown, having an educational table there.”
The City Council is on board with the proposal and will schedule a workshop soon to finalize the details.
