The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners has approved paying $52,603 for an additional 0.69 acres of land for a new fire station at Yellow Creek and Conns Creek road east of Ball Ground.

The larger site will allow a community room and voting location to be part of the station, County Manager Jerry Cooper told commissioners. The new firehouse will replace 1970s-era facility built for the Mica-area volunteer department.

While many former volunteer stations in Cherokee County have been upgraded for full-time firefighters, the Mica station needed extensive repairs, and Fire & Emergency Services determined it made more sense to build new rather than renovate, officials have said.