The Grundy County Law Enforcement Committee approved a conceptual drawing of a two-story plan for a city-county law enforcement facility and shoot for a fall groundbreaking during a meeting held Thursday night.
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The Grundy County Law Enforcement Committee approved a conceptual drawing of a two-story plan for a city-county law enforcement facility and shoot for a fall groundbreaking during a meeting held Thursday night.
Architect Ken West met with the group, explaining why the plan must be altered from a one-story plan to a two-story facility. West said that because he had not been able to physically be on the property in which the building will be located prior to designing the one-story facility, he had to ?eye? it. Only after he received a topographical map did he learn that the property, located just south of the courthouse, had a 22-foot drop from the northwest corner to the southeast corner. West said that he then spoke with the Grundy County Commission about the problem and since they were still not able to physically get on the property, they used instruments to determine the elevation using the sidewalk. That study supported the findings on the map.
West said that when he attempted, using computer software, to place the proposed one-story building on the property, it was obvious that the one-story facility would be too large and in fact, would run nearly from Main Street to Washington Street and almost from Sixth Street to Seventh Street. He said he had envisioned that the building would be in the northwest corner. There was no way to get the grading down to the street.
West said that re-designing the building into a two-story facility is the appropriate way to go based on the elevation issues and pointed out that the decision to go with a two-story facility was based on more than just the cost of bringing in fill dirt and building large retaining walls.
?More than the cost of doing it is the appropriateness of doing it this way,? he said, noting that to build the one-story structure would mean constructing it on fill dirt which when it settled, would lead to cracks.
The two-story plan presented by West is just conceptual in nature, he said, and includes the items that were in the first plan. He noted that there will be a basement in this plan, but that areas such as storage, evidence, mechanical, etc. would be located in that portion of the building. He also said that, depending on the roof line chosen by the committee, the building will not look much different from the one-story facility that had been proposed.
As for cost, West called the difference between the two plans ?a wash? and said he does not think the budget will be higher than it would have been if the one-story facility had been constructed. Although there will be a cost for an elevator and a basement, there will not be the cost of the grading and retaining walls that would have been necessary with a one-story facility. The amount of personnel to operate the facility and monitor prisoners would remain the same as for the one-story building.
While the committee approved the concept of the two-story building, West said his next step is to meet with Trenton Police Chief Bob Lewis and Grundy County Sheriff Rodney Herring to discuss specific changes that may need to be made to meet the needs of their departments.
Another decision that was made Tuesday night was to work toward a fall groundbreaking. West said there were several reasons to get moving on the project, if possible, including the possibility of rising interest rates and construction costs and the fact that some work could be done during the winter. He also said that voters approved this project in February and will want to see some progress.
What is holding up the progress now is the fact that the county has filed a condemnation suit against Jim McCarty, doing business as Oak Tree Realty, to purchase the former Nisbeth -Siedel building. McCarty and the county commission have not been able to reach an agreement on a selling price, so the issue will now go to court on June 16. McCarty has filed for a change of venue in the case and Allan Seidel, an attorney and member of the committee, said he does not feel that state statute will allow a change of venue at this juncture because the law states that three ?freeholders? of the county must be appointed as commissioners to determine the fair value of the property. After the court appoints the commissioners to determine the value, either side may choose to appeal that decision, with the case then decided by a jury.
In addition to the McCarty property, the county may have to file a condemnation suit against Gary Hanes, who owns property on Washington Street. A third property is still in negotiations and two properties in the block have been purchased.
While Presiding Commissioner Kenny Roberts said he is certain the county will obtain the McCarty property, the question that remains is how much it will cost to obtain it.
The committee did not set its next meeting date, but West said he will be getting with Herring and Lewis in the next week to talk about the plan and will then be doing a detailed plan and begin putting together specifications for a construction packet that will be used when the project goes out for bid.