HILO >> Proposed changes to Hawaii County’s Building Code include one that would mandate a residential “safe room” that would add an estimated $3,000 to the cost of home construction.

Such rooms would be designed to hold up to eight people during a hurricane. They would be anchored to the home’s foundation, designed to withstand 160 mph winds and feature a phone line and an impact-protected window.

The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports the proposal was one of a number of suggested changes that received a cool reception from contractors, owner-builders and others attending a public briefing Wednesday.

State building codes were adopted in April. Hawaii’s four counties have two years to pass local amendments or the state codes will apply.