In building Cary's eighth fire station, the town plans to meet certain guidelines of the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system.

But the Town Council voted Thursday to skip the costly certification process.

"If the economy was in a better situation, I'd consider it," said Councilman Don Frantz, who made the motion to skip the certification. "But I just can't see the justification on moving forward and spending extra money."

The town still expects to spend an extra $105,000 on energy-saving features in a space that is used 24 hours a day.

Foregoing the certification could save the town about $41,000, according to a town staff report.

In 2000, the U.S. Green Building Council established the LEED system to promote construction of environmentally friendly and energy efficient buildings.

Builders could earn points toward LEED certification by using recycled building materials, incorporating systems that conserve water and electricity and using shading and lighting in ways to reduce dependence on heating and air conditioning.

A building constructed to LEED standards is not automatically certified.

Projects must register with the U.S. Green Building Council, documenting the design's performance and commissioning a third party to verify that the building is meeting design standards.

These steps come with associated fees.

"When you are pursuing certification, it brings a sense of discipline to the design that you might not have otherwise," said David Johnson, an architect at the SmithGroup in Durham. "If you're only committed to pursuing the principles without the certification, it's easier to abandon as soon as something becomes expensive or challenging."

The green building council estimates that investing in green building design upfront could result in life cycle savings of 20 percent of the total construction costs.

The fire station will be the first town-owned facility designed in accordance to green industry building standards. The town estimates that building the fire station to green standards will save the town $580,000 over the station's life.

But if the building is designed to save money, why not save a little more, council members reasoned.

Council members Jack Smith, Jennifer Robinson and Gale Adcock also voted against the certification.

"I just think it's such a timing issue," Adcock said. "I do not want to spend this extra money."

The town's environmental advisory board voted unanimously in favor of LEED certification last month. Members said the certification would bring visibility to the town's sustainability efforts.

The Town Council members who supported the effort said seeking LEED certification would ensure that high environmental standards would be met.

"This is not a trivial matter," Councilman Erv Portman said.

He said building to LEED standards without getting the certification was shortsighted.

"It is pennywise and tomfoolish to not do the thing right and not do it thoroughly and fully," Portman said.

Johnson said the size of the project can dictate decisions on LEED certification. He added that it wasn't unreasonable for a relatively small building not to pursue LEED certification. "It is the most widely recognized brand, and there is some marketing cache associated with it," he said.

Opponents to the certification said that building to green standards would be enough. "I believe this building will be state-of-the-art and built to the highest possible environmental standards," Smith said. "I also believe that in these times ... that extra $41,000 will help us get through a difficult budget year."