Salisbury will help pay for RCCC waterline

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 2, 2009

By Mark Wineka
mwineka@saliburypost.com
The city of Salisbury will pay 25 percent of the cost of a waterline to serve a new classroom building at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College.
Previous estimates of the 12-inch waterline’s costs ranged from $187,000 to $210,000.
“We think there could be some savings,” City Manager David Treme said, if Salisbury-Rowan Utilities manages the project.
Treme said he hoped the city could install the waterline for $140,000 to $150,000.
The waterline will extend along the college driveway entrance off Old Concord Road. The community college has plans to build a new 39,000-square-foot classroom building south of the existing campus buildings.
Rowan County will pay the remaining cost of the line, which is an unexpected expense. A state review of the college’s plans called for the 12-inch line to replace a proposed 6-inch line so there would be more pressure and capacity.
As part of the city’s agreement to participate in the waterline, the college will volunteer to have the remaining part of its property annexed.
At present, the city limit line goes through two of the major buildings on campus.
Even though part of the campus isn’t in Salisbury, the city has provided fire service to RCCC for about 25 years, Treme said. Police service also has been provided.
The new $7.8 million classroom building will be located outside the existing city limit.
Mayor Susan Kluttz said joining with Rowan County on the waterline project is “an example of how we can work together” to help the college.
Councilman William “Pete” Kennedy said he was excited about the college’s expansion. Councilman Mark Lewis said the plans call for a beautiful building that will be “a wonderful addition” to the city.
In another matter involving the college, council agreed to add a Conditional District overlay on top of the existing Institutional Campus zoning.
The Conditional District will allow the college to add alternative building materials to those already allowed in the base zoning. The new classroom building will use prefinished ribbed metal paneling, smooth metal paneling, decorative concrete masonry and glass as part of its exterior.
Those materials were not listed as primary building materials. The Conditional District Overlay is placed over 78 acres of the campus.
The new classroom building will include a parking lot, extensive landscaping, a drainage detention pond and sidewalks.