The Haywood County Commissioners challenged the greening of the center for the creative arts proposed for the Haywood Community College campus. Designs describe a 35,000 sq. ft. building with solar climate control, solar water heating, and rainwater toilet flushing. These options are more practical than using geothermal energy for heating and cooling. New legislation requires state buildings to “reduce energy by 30 percent below code and water usage by 20 percent.”
The proposed $12 million cost of the building is over twice the cost of another building with similar square footage the county is considering constructing. Some commissioners, and four of the college’s eleven trustees oppose the excess. County CFO Julie Davis said debt service for the proposed building would cost the city $1.5 million a year for the next fifteen years. That would consume all estimated collections from the county’s quarter-cent local option sales tax during that period.
The commissioners also expressed reservations about the reliability of the proposed technologies. Maintenance costs were another concern. Proponents suggested collecting state and federal tax credits to help with financing.
