By David DeCamp, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
CLEARWATER — Pinellas County's $476,000 eco-friendly home cleared an important hurdle Tuesday, with the help of an unexpected ally.
County Commissioner Nancy Bostock, who previously opposed the project, voted with 4-2 majority to keep the project moving by hiring a construction manager.
Bostock had questioned the logic of building such a project given the parks department has been hit by layoffs and budget cuts for several years. She voted against the project in November.
No one will live at the house, which is expected to be built off Ulmerton Road near the county extension offices by 2013.
But Tuesday, she gave it the green light because she said a no vote would only delay hiring a contractor, not stop the so-called Pinellas Green Home. Asked if she considered voting no to delay it, she acknowledged, "I thought about it (voting no) because it is an awkward thing to vote for a project that you already voted against."
The house will be built thanks to a 2009 federal earmark secured by U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young, R-Indian Shores. With the University of Florida, the county has to assist its construction and staff the home, a required match worth another $476,000.
Supporters including Commissioner Susan Latvala said a federally funded project was a worthy county priority since county budget money wasn't involved. But Commissioner Calvin Harris, who opposed the project with Commissioner John Morroni, disagreed.
"We keep building stuff, and then we don't have any staff to sustain it," Harris said.
The home is slated to offer environmentally friendly options for builders and homeowners: solar power, cistern water systems, Florida-friendly landscaping. The extras will more than double the $175,000 estimate for basic construction of the 2,000-square-foot house. That cost amounts to $238 per square foot — more than twice the local average — and only one contractor responded to the county's bid to hire a manager.
Extension director Mary Campbell said the construction manager, Hennessy Construction Services, will be expected to work to find more companies with environmental expertise. Volunteers and people with donations also will be sought, she said.
County officials defended the cost because much of the price stems from teaching displays and "green" materials and equipment. County officials estimated construction management costs at $55,000.
David DeCamp can be reached at ddecamp@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8779.