Pembroke City Council has agreed to waive fees if a national company decides to put a housing development in the city.

At a special meeting Sunday afternoon, called because of the time-sensitive issue, council vote to waive the fees if National Church Residences decides to transform the former elementary school site on Ash Branch Road into one of the company’s affordable housing developments for seniors.

Pembroke is one of several sites being considered for this project. NCR asked that the permit fee, impact fees and sewer tap fees be waived. NCR told the city it needed an answer to complete an application for grant funding from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs for low-income housing which was due on Monday.

"We had discussed this in a workshop..." City Clerk Sharroll Fanslau said, "about our share of costs that the grant requires. And the easiest way to meet that cost without any outlay of money is to waive permit fees, impact fees and sewer tap fees for the building."

She said it would only be the initial fees, not future billing. The council vote was unanimous.

Council also voted to name the new training center for the Pembroke Fire Department, the Freddie E. Cook Training Center. Cook served as assistant chief for more than 40 years. His daughter, Councilwoman Karen Lynn, abstained. The center is expected to open in June.