Cannon moves ahead with housing plans

The demolition of 278 Gemini Housing units, an asbestos abatement plan in 250 Chavez Manor units and the relocation of 90 military families will be the focus of two town hall meetings Thursday at Cannon Air Force Base, according to a news release.

Base personnel and their families are invited to the meetings that will begin at 11 a.m. and at 6 p.m. at the base theater.

In January, the base received approval for the two projects that could begin as soon as April, according to base housing officials. Most of the housing units slated for demolition already are vacant through attrition as families left Cannon during the last year, according to the news release.

“We’ve been preparing for this demolition project since early 2007,” said Tim Farmer, base housing manager, in the news release. “We will try to accommodate the timing for the moves as much as possible for those impacted.”

The Air Force will pay the costs of moving the families to either on- or off-base residences.

The second project will remove all asbestos-containing material in 250 Chavez Manor homes located north of the base near Ranchvale Road. Many of these homes have been vacated through attrition as well.

Housing records indicate these homes were built in 1974, before the nationwide ban on asbestos-containing materials in building projects. Chavez Manor residents previously were notified of the presence of these materials, but certified lab results showed the materials posed no health risks to occupants as long as the materials remained undisturbed.

For questions on construction-related moves, call the base housing office at 784-2983.