THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, March 14, 1995 TAG: 9503140308
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY LANE DEGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
By early May, architects will tell Dare County commissioners how big their new county office complex should be and where it should be built, architect Howard Melton said Monday.
Architects will study four parcels of land for the proposed buildings, commissioners decided Monday.
The sites:
Property owned by a private citizen behind Wachovia Bank in downtown Manteo.
Property owned by the county near the Roanoke Island airport.
Property that is for sale near the Midway Intersection, by the Dare County campus of the College of the Albemarle.
The current county office complex site, in downtown Manteo.
Only the Midway site and the current location originally were under consideration.
``We will study the suitability of the various sites and determine what kind of facilities the county will require. The commissioners need this information to determine whether to pursue a major project like this,'' said Melton, whose Washington, D.C., firm will conduct preliminary studies for the proposed Dare County office complex.
The commissioners voted 6-1 to award a $142,000 contract to Spillis, Candela/Varnecke of Washington, D.C. The architects will complete the first phase of their study within about six weeks. By the end of August, they also will tell county officials how much a new office could cost.
Money for the architects' study came from the county's contingency fund.
Commissioner Shirley Hassell cast the only vote against awarding the contract. She did not comment on her reasoning, and was unavailable for comment Monday.
Board of Commissioners Chairman Robert V. ``Bobby'' Owens Jr. said he had reservations about signing the contract - but did so anyway.
``I would like to stress to the people that we're not there yet,'' Owens said of the proposed county office complex. ``This building is a long way off. But we have to sign this contract to get the necessary information in order for us to make an intelligent decision.
``No one on this board has made up his or her mind regarding the complex,'' Owens said. ``We're not shoving anything down the people's throats. If the people don't want it, it will not be built.
``But sooner or later, this building will have to be constructed,'' said Owens. ``It is good, prudent business for the taxpayers to own their own building.''
Dare County leases many of its offices from private owners in downtown Manteo. Taxpayers spend more than $400,000 annually on rent for those facilities. If a new county office complex is to be built, commissioners have said they probably will hold a referendum since construction most likely would require a tax increase.
Earlier this month, commissioners on an office-complex planning committee came under fire for failing to involve the public enough in their deliberations. Before architects project a final cost, Melton said they will meet with Outer Banks citizens' groups to receive input. The architects plan to devise a rendition of the proposed complex, which they will share with civic clubs, religious congregations, women's groups and other local organizations.
Architects also plan to interview county department supervisors and employees during their preliminary investigation of the proposed complex. Dare County has about 510 full-time employees. The office complex will be designed to project needs about 15 years into the future, Melton said.
``We'll begin meeting with people from the community in April,'' said Melton. ``We plan to meet with citizens through the summer. County officials will decide which groups we should meet with. We need as many people's feedback and ideas as possible.'' by CNB