The marine skills center coming to Anacortes is all about leading-edge technology, says Bryan Young, project manager for the Northwest Career and Technical Academy.

So why not be a leader in conserving energy and creating a sustainable facility at the site south of the Cap Sante Boat Haven?

At the academy’s board meeting last week, members approved Young’s proposal to pursue state funding for conservation and sustainablility features for the marine technology skills center scheduled to open in Anacortes in September 2010.

Those proposed features include roof-mounted solar panels, windows that actually open, sun control devices such as aluminum shades and air to air energy recovery equipment that allows fresh air entering a building to be tempered with exiting air prior to going into heating units thus saving on utility costs.

Additional cost savings could come through a ground source heat pump that would use geothermal power to heat and cool the building instead of a boiler system. The system would capture the heat of the ground in the winter and dissipate heat into the ground in the summer.

Possible features for outside the building include a rain garden to filter storm water runoff through natural landscaping and pervious concrete or pavers.

The cost of all the features is estimated at a little more than $1.5 million. An additional $605,000 is estimated for similar features at the academy’s main campus going in at the Skagit Valley College campus in Mount Vernon.

Academy Executive Director Doneeta Spath and La Conner School District Superintendent Tim Bruce will pursue the funding with the 2009 Legislature through the governor’s capital budget.

Bruce said the funding would be provide educational, environmental and cost saving benefits.

“And of course (benefit the academy) trying to be the leader,” he said. “Others may want to model after us.”

At the Nov. 12 meeting, the board also approved a resolution to accept the schematic design of the marine skills center developed by Hutteball and Oremus Architecture.

The design, similar to earlier drafts, includes more detail such as a main entry plaza facing the marina, pedestrian and vehicle access ways, and security fencing that connects to the buildings so not to be too obstructive to the view of the campus.

All the labs within the main building will have adjoining teacher offices and a physical and visual connection to the central project area that links to a covered outside work area.

The schematic design also shows how the center, which will be built on property owned by the Port of Anacortes along R Avenue, will share about 30 parking spaces with the Northwest Educational Service District building to the east in order to provide more public parking.

With the approved site plan, Young said he can now go to the port to start the State Environmental Policy Act review process. And with the SEPA in hand, he’ll go to the city to begin the conditional use permitting process. Public meetings could begin in January with the project ready to go out for construction bids in the spring.

Also at the meeting, the board approved a resolution to accept a feasibility study grant to look into opening additional satellite or branch campuses associated with the academy in Whatcom and San Juan counties. The grant from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is for $40,000.

The board meets again noon to 2 p.m. Dec. 10 at the Mount Vernon School District offices.