GREEN CREEK – Polk County Commissioners gave the go ahead this week for construction to begin on extending a water line to Looking Glass Creamery in Green Creek.

 

Commissioners met Monday, Nov. 6 and approved the low bid of $151,029 by Double R Utilities Inc.

 

The county received a total of five bids, ranging from $151,000 to almost $203,000.

The total budget for the project is $221,000, with $151,029 for construction, $50,971 placed in contingency and $19,000 in engineering fees.

 

The project is mainly being paid for through a grant from a North Carolina Department of Commerce, Industrial Development Fund Utility Account (IDF), which is paying for 75 percent of the project.

 

The county agreed earlier this year to contribute $34,000, which is 60 percent of the match to the grant. Harmon Dairy, where Looking Glass Creamery is expanding in Green Creek, will contribute 40 percent of the match, which is $22,750. The county decided to pay for 60 percent of the match of the grant per its water extension policy, where the county pays for 60 percent of water line extensions and property owners pay for 40 percent.

 

The IDF grant will pay for up to $170,625 of the Looking Glass Creamery water line.

 

Double R Utilities recently constructed a 12-inch main water line extension to the Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) in Polk County.

 

Commissioners met with engineer Dave Odom about the project, who said the project should start within a few weeks.

 

Looking Glass Creamery is constructing a facility on Hwy. 9 at Harmon Dairy Farm. Looking Glass Creamery is acquiring the existing dairy farm to better manage its milk supply and is constructing a new creamery building with aging caves to produce cheese and other dairy products as well. Looking Glass Creamery is expanding its Asheville location to Polk County, with retail sales continuing in Asheville.

 

The expansion to Polk County is expected to create eight new production jobs with further job growth expected.

 

The water line will extend from an existing 12-inch line on Chesnee Road South along Hwy. 9. The project will include two fire hydrants, valves and fittings, a road under bore and five driveway repairs.