Development Services Building more convenient for residents

The $20 million, 120,000-square-foot building, beside the James J. McCoart Administration Building on County Complex Court, will help facilitate the development process for the community.

As customers and residents enter the building, they will be greeted by a first-stop assistance desk that will guide them through the development, zoning and permitting process, county officials said.

The various development-related offices “were scattered around and we were really growing,” said Wade Hugh, assistant public works director, of the county’s recent real estate boom. “This pulled us all together and is more convenient for the customer or the citizen that comes in.”

The building will house the fire marshal, planning, public works and transportation departments, among others.

County officials also will apply for LEEDS certification for the “green” building, said Lou Ann Purkins, county architect. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating system is a nationally accepted program certifying environmentally friendly design, according to the U.S. Green Building Council.

“We are making more conscious decision to go towards more green buildings and buildings that can be certified,” Purkins said.

Using energy-efficient glass to allow as much natural light as possible and sustainable products, such as wood and concrete, in the building help it meet LEEDS criteria, she said. All office equipment installed in the building is Energy Star compliant, she said. Even the amount of light being put out by the special energy-efficient bulbs can be regulated, Purkins said.