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week of 3/6/02 | |
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By Scott McLeod
A work session last week with architects designing Haywood County’s proposed new justice center revealed just how far apart opinions still are about the project.
Architects were hopeful the meeting might lead to approval of the schematic design afor the $4 million parking garage and the $14 million justice center (that price includes only construction costs). They passed out proposed construction contract timelines that opened with “schematic approval” on Feb. 27.
The only thing agreed to at the meeting, though, was that the building needed to be smaller and architects should have been told that before coming all the way from Orlando.
County commissioners — all except Bill Noland — expressed surprise that architects delivered a proposal that actually enlarged the building. Commissioners had voted two weeks ago to eliminate two of the seven courtrooms and reduce the building from four to three stories.
“I am astounded to see the size of the building increasing,” said Commissioner Mary Ann Enloe.
Members of the public and county commissioners ended up focusing on the fact that the county administration had not relayed to architects the desire for a smaller building. County Manager Jack Horton, however, said the work session was the place where those changes should be discussed.
“I’m appalled that the message did not get to (the architects) that Hawyood County was interested in a smaller design. Did you even get the message that the people wanted a reduction in size?” asked Ron Bradshaw.
When all commissioners had spoken, there was still wide disagreement over how the project will proceed, how large the building should be, and what should be built first — the justice center, the jail or the parking garage. Commissioner Carlyle Ferguson may have best summed up that confusion.
“I don’t think the program is going to change a lot, but the difference between 17,000 square feet and 104,000 square feet is too wide,” said Ferguson.
He was referring to the recommended additional space needed for judicial services in the Administrative Office of the Courts (17,000 square feet) and the plan presented by HLM designers (104,000 square feet).
Doug Kleppin and Clay Ransone of HLM Design came to Waynesville with a reworked schematic. In the new plan, the justice center had five finished courtrooms, was about 50-feet tall, was 50 feet back from Main Street, and was three stories — and increased in overall size from 94,000 to 104,000 square feet.
“These are 100-year buildings, and they give you some flexibility as to how you grow,” Kleppin.
The revised plan included about 10,500 squre feet of “shell space.” This is non-designated room to allow for growth. Since it is unfinished, it is cheaper to build. Some of the increase was attributed to eliminating the fourth floor. That caused the foundation footprint to grow because space was added on other floors. That substantially increased the square footage in the basement.
Commissioners, however, were not interested in 100-year plans. County Board Chairman Jim Stevens said the voters he has spoken with want the county to build for 20 years.
“It’s not smart, but that’s what people are saying we can afford now,” said Stevens.
The commissioners told the architects to chop 30 feet from the floor plan. Included on the third floor was a 30-foot shell space for future growth that could serve as offices or another courtroom. Architects will eliminate that space from all three floors and the basement, and Kleppin said they could be back with a new schematic within three weeks.
As debate about the size of the building continued, Horton’s handling of the project was called into question. Enloe accused Hor-ton of writing in a guest column to The Enterprise Mountaineer that the building, once reduced, could be built without having to purchase the Clyde Savings Bank property. Horton denied saying it, but Enloe pressed the matter by presenting a copy of the article to Horton.
“I don’t think I ever meant that,” said Horton.
Later, as Bradshaw asked who was supposed to tell architects to reduce the size of the building, Kleppin said the firm had been in contact with Horton and Assistant County Manager Rick Honeycutt. Enloe said commissioners have been left out of the loop, but that it was their own fault.
“It has been my contention all along that the five people seated at this table have not been involved as they ought to be in this project,” said Enloe. “I’ll be the first to admit, though, that the buck stops with us.”
After Enloe and Bradshaw’s remarks, Stevens stood up for the county manager.
‘I think I pretty much know what is happening. Jack (Horton) has been the one talking to them and I don’t appreciate the attacks on Jack,” said Stevens.
Ransone and Kleppin also said that the quare footage increase was due to design realities and misunderstanding of how to proceed. Kleppin also said the architectural fees for the project were not based on the size of the building. HLM’s contract for the job is $1.2 million.
Commissioner Wade Francis said after the meeting he was surprised at HLM’s proposal for a larger building.
“They certainly did not get anything from us, but they got it from someone,” said Francis. “This is a problem for me. If we would have talked to them they would known we wanted a good bit of square footage taken off.”
Enloe was even more critical of the process.
“It is extremely important that the message did not get to the architects,” she said. “It all goes to leadership.”
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