Adams County Ag Center Construction Finish Nears JANET WILLIAMS Adams Co. Correspondent GETTYSBURG (Adams Co.) The new Agricultural Center for Adams County is in the home stretch of construction. The carpet is down, the office walls are going up, and the grad ing around the building is being done. It is still four to six weeks from being ready for occupancy but it gets a little closer each week. Laurence V. Martick, district manager of the Adams County Conservation District, said the $3.6 million project would have never gotten off the ground if it had not been for the dedication of the Adams County commis sioners and unwavering support of the members of the farming community. The county commissioners set the stage by offering to lease 10.2 acres along Old Harrisburg Road to the Conservation Dis trict. The land (a parcel adjacent to Green Acres, the county nurs ing home, and the Adams County Prison) was leased to the conservation district for $1 a year for 25 years. The only con dition was that the building should bring together all the government-funded agricultural agencies and organizations. The way things are set up now, without a centralized building, a farmer who needs to do business with USDA, soil conservation, extension, or the cpunty ag land preservation folks have to run to three differ ent locations in and around Get tysburg. “It is extremely Arena Ph. (717)866-6581 701 E. Linden St., RICHLAND, PA 17087 Trusses for Commercial or Residential inefficient,” Martick said. With the commissioners guaranteeing the debt, the con servation district was able to get a mortgage and enter contracts with the federal, state, and county governments, which will be renting the space for their agencies. Many of those offices are in leased space which has no room for expansion. The lack of space is making it very difficult for some of those agencies to do their job. Martick, for example, said he needs three new staff members and has the OK to hire. But he can’t hire them until he has somewhere to put those people. Harry Stoke, a county com missioner, said the county is also facing a serious space problem at the courthouse. “The court house is jammed to the hilt,” he said. The commissioners re cently rented space in town for the juvenile probation office but still needed more room. Moving the other offices to the Ag Center will allow them to expand other departments within the court house. The new building is a sight to behold. From the outside, it resembles a barn, complete with fancy brickwork on the wall facing the east. The foyer is an expansive open space with open beams bolted together. A round red silo-like structure houses the elevator to the downstairs. Nearly every office is bathed in natural light from the floor to ceiling windows on nearly every wall. “We tried to include ‘green technology’ every way we FAX (717)866-7237 could,” Stoke said. As an exam ple, he pointed to the chillers that are part of the air condi tioning system. They will run during off-peak hours, at a lower rate of electricty, to make ice that will be stored in under ground tanks. Air will be pumped over the ice, cooled, and then circulated throughout the building in the summer. Penn State Cooperative Ex tension will occupy about one fourth of the 32,000-square-foot building. William Kleiner, ex tension agent serving Adams County, said, “Agriculture is still the prime income producer here.” Tourism, the second larg • GLU-LAM ARCHES •R< • GLU-LAM BEAMS • FI • GLU-LAM TREATED *TJ POSTS D “The Sign of Quality In Engineered Timber” nun fuse motiutc est industry in the county, is a distant second. Commissioner Thomas Weaver said the key to realizing the dream of the Ag Center was the commitment and involve ment of every element in the community. He said donations came from private individuals, local companies, and many farm organizations. Adams County National Bank pledged $40,000 and also gave the county such a competi THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT ICE CREAM^ Free Stall Barn Interior Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 20, 2000-A23 tive rate on the mortgage that a bond issue was not needed, Weaver said. Faith Peterson, one of the co chairs of the Capital Campaign Committee, said they began working in September 1998 and raised $350,000 of their $400,000 goal. “The response (from the community) was very positive,” she said. “We’re really excited about it. It’s just going to be so nice to have all those things in one place.” Over 40 years quality products & materials... Let us help you with your building needs! Free Stall Bam Exterior
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