In an age of government austerity, the Western Governor's Residence would seem a relic of better times - a mansion sitting on top of Sunset Mountain with a panoramic view of Asheville.
North Carolina is one of only five states that have a second governor's residence, the result of a gift to the state and one that the state manages to run pretty cheaply.
But even so, some eyebrows were raised when the state - while laying off thousands of state employees and cutting many programs - agreed to spend nearly a quarter of a million dollars renovating the western residence.
The $259,300 renovation project is largely devoted to replacing the electrical rewiring, replacing the outdoor patio stones and reworking the decking, bringing it up to standards with handrails and a wall cap, according to the Department of Administration.
"The renovations are for fire safety measures," said Chrissy Pearson, the governor's spokeswoman. "The wiring is the biggest part of it. The residence is aging and the wiring is dangerous. Remember that a large number of groups rent that facility for functions - much more so than it is used by the governor."
Like her predecessors, Perdue rarely uses the western residence. Her primary residence is the state-owned Executive Mansion in Raleigh, but she also spends time at her private homes in Chapel Hill and New Bern.
The 6,000-square-foot Asheville residence was built in 1939 by Tom Brimer, who owned the Good Humor Ice Cream Co. The home at 45 Patton Mountain Road was donated to the state by the Asheville Chamber of Commerce in 1964, as an inducement to get the governor to spend more time in the western part of the state. It sits on 18 acres.
The residence is frequently used by civic, nonprofit and government groups.
Among the dozens of groups that have used the residence in recent years are the Candler Elementary School, the Billy Graham staff, the Western N.C. Tax Association, UNC Asheville Human Resources, First Baptist Church of Asheville, the American Red Cross, Central Methodist Church, Mountain Shag Club, Kiwanis of Asheville, Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont, Asheville Parkinson's Group, Buncombe County Republican Women, and the Asheville Art Museum Docents.
Wear and tear
Designed as a private residence, the house was never built for the wear and tear of larger crowds, said Jill Lucas, spokeswoman for the Department of Administration.
"People have stumbled," Lucas said. "People have been shocked by wires." She said the state thought it could not wait until there was a fire to make the repairs.
During the past year, the residence had a state budget of $21,210, with $14,210 coming from appropriations and $7,000 coming from receipts. A nonprofit group, The Governor's Western Residence Association, handles expenses not covered by the state. It has historically been maintained by the Department of Correction.
The project, which began late last year, is scheduled to be completed this month.
