Franklin County buys more waterfront property

County commissioners have nearly completed the purchase of a lot in Eastpoint that will provide some additional docking space for boaters and oystermen. On Monday the commission agreed to pay 280 thousand dollars for the lot on Patton Street near the county boat ramp. Commissioners got quite a deal on the land; it was appraised for 380 thousand dollars. The property, which once belonged to Allen Brothers Seafood, contains a number of docks and a building and about 150 feet of waterfront. The county hopes to rebuild the docks to provide an offloading site for local seafood workers and to give people a place to tie up away from the county ramp. They also hope to build a pavilion on the site and use the rest of the land for parking. District 1 county commissioner Pinki Jackel said she was very excited by the purchase – she said the property will help preserve the Eastpoint waterfront and insure that local oystermen have a place to do their work.