GREEN CREEK-A water line to Looking Glass Creamery is officially under construction.

The Polk County Board of Commissioners met Jan. 22 and heard from county manager Marche Pittman about the water line construction.

During the discussion, commissioner Tommy Melton asked if anyone else had been asked why the county didn’t run the water line extension all the way to the state line from the creamery since it is so close.

Commissioner Ray Gasperson said the county followed its water line extension policy process for the water line.

The water line to Looking Glass Creamery, located on Hwy. 9 in Green Creek on the Harmon Dairy Farm, is mostly being paid for by a grant from the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Industrial Development Fund Utility Account (IDF). The grant is paying for 75 percent of the project.

The county’s water line extension policy includes that extensions off the county’s main water line are to be paid for at 40 percent from the property owner and 60 percent from the county.

Commissioners approved a bid last year for $151,029 to Double R Utilities Inc. to construct the water line.

The county’s 60 percent of the match is approximately $34,000 and Harmon Dairy is contributed the other 40 percent of the match, or $22,750.

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.

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.