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week of 4/10/02 | |
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| Justice
center gets divided board’s OK By Scott McLeod Haywood County commissioners agreed by a 3-2 vote to seek $22 million in bonds from the Local Government Commission to build a new downtown justice center and parking garage and to acquire land for a new jail. The new justice center will be 88,000 square feet and contain five new courtrooms. Controversy and divisiveness have dogged the debate on the new justice center for more than a year, and critics are still questioning the size and design of the project. But a majority of commissioners — Chairman Jim Stevens, Bill Noland and Carlyle Ferguson — said it was time to move on with the project. “It’s our responsibility. We’ve got to do this,” said Ferguson. Noland — who is not up for re-election — said the justice center should not be a campaign issue because it is the responsibility of the board to provide adequate facilities. “It’s not an election issue ... it just happens to fall at this time,” said Noland. Commissioner Mary Ann Enloe — who is up for re-election — voted against the project. She said she has spoken with dozens of people and everyone is against the project as it stands. “There is the perception that this is being pushed through before November,” she said. “This is a textbook case of how not get a public building project done.” Commissioner Wade Francis, who is also up for re-election and who also voted against the project, said he was concerned about how the board planned to re-pay the $22 million. “I’m certainly not for raising property taxes to pay for this. People have about all they can handle now,” said Francis. He also wondered how a large property tax increase might affect Blue Ridge Paper’s competitiveness. “If you get a great big increase, you might shut them down,” he said. The board took five votes on the justice center project: it approved the revised schematic of 88,000 square feet, approved the design of the parking garage, agreed to borrow $22 million from the LGC, decided to consider using the construction manager at risk method of construction, and OK’sdgeotechnical borings at the site. The board also agreed to let its attorney negotiate for two tracts adjacent to its satellite jail: one known as the Welch property that is 1.2 acres and will cost $60,000; and another that is 3.7 acres and is known as the Prevost property that will cost $250,000. The money to purchase those two tracts will be included in the $22 million request from the Local Government Commission. |
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