Currituck commissioners' plans for a newly purchased horse farm may have received another setback last week when a county official said a building on the property isn't worth repairing and should be torn down.

Commissioners have said since buying the 100-acre horse farm for $3.2 million in August that they hope to use it as an equestrian center.

Board Chairman Paul O'Neal in fact said Saturday that 4-H clubs in Currituck are already lining up to use the farm, which includes a stables facility, enclosed arena and a brick house officials had hoped to use as an administrative building.

"They're ecstatic" about the project, O'Neal said.

The county's plans took an initial hit when the county's building inspector said last week that the arena built by the farm's former owner, Bob DeGabrielle, was never constructed to be a commercial venue and had never been inspected for commercial uses.

Chief Building Inspector Spence Castello said the arena was only inspected as a "residential accessory structure." He said it couldn't be used for horse shows or other events in its current state because it doesn't have fire sprinklers.

Castello said he made a "quick visual inspection" of a brick house on the site that Currituck's Parks and Recreation Department had hoped, following upgrades, to use to headquarter two maintenance staffers and an educational programming events coordinator.

Castello, however, found the floors of the building to be spongy in many areas. He advised Parks and Recreation Director Jason Weeks that the house "may not carry the additional load required for an office building."

Castello said the building's plumbing and heating systems need replacing, the roof sags in many places and the foundation needs repair. As a result, "it would be my recommendation to demolish and rebuild," he said.

Weeks said in an e-mail last week no final decisions had been made about the structure.

"I am in the process of talking with contractors to get some estimates on making the needed improvements to the house," he said. "After we get those figures I will then go to the county manager and commissioners with a recommendation.... If repair costs to the house come in too high we have the option of locating our offices in the doublewide that is (also) on-site."

Weeks added that the county doesn't know yet how much it will cost to upgrade the 102-acre horse farm for commercial use.

Currituck's Republican-led Board of Commissioners has come under fire from their Democratic opponents for buying the horse farm. The decision's critics say the purchase was rushed, and that consequently, details like access to the property and whether its facilities can be used weren't given much thought.

Commissioners, meanwhile, have defended the purchase, saying the horse farm will be a boost to both tourism and local youth programs.

O'Neal said he didn't know if the county paid for the house Castello says is dilapidated as part of the $3.2 million purchase agreement.

Commissioner Paul Martin, vice chairman of the board, also wasn't sure if the county paid for the house as part of the agreement. However, he was confident that the arena could be brought up to commercial standards.

"I certainly don't think it will be difficult...," he said.