Citizens decry county buying up old buildings

Alford Flanagan suggested the county determine court needs before planning new construction.

By LOU ANTONELLI
Editor-in-Chief

Members of the public, speaking at the public hearing for the proposed county 2019-2020 tax rate, took commissioners to task for buying and owning old real estate buildings.

The count has discussed plans for a new building to replace the courthouse annex across the street.

Alford Flanagan said “First before we start building, we need to determine the need for more space. Are there more court cases now?”

“That’s what they’ve told us,” said Judge Brian Lee. “There are more criminal cases and especially child protective services cases.”

The county had planned to add a second courtroom to the annex said Lee, but dropped those plans because they would have entailed a level of remodeling that would canceled out any “grandfathering” of the building, and would have required an upgrade of utilities to bring them up to current code.

The county now faces fire code violations because the annex does not have a proper firewall against an adjacent building.

“We don’t feel like throwing money away on an old building,” he said. “We’re thinking about a complete demolition and starting over.”

The county is considering leveling the block and putting a new two story building in the center, with parking on all sides. That would also alleviate the current parking problem, said Lee.

Lacey Garrett suggested if the county wanted to start new, it could use the land in the Industrial Park, but Lee noted the county doesn’t own the industrial park.

Denise Reichert said the county needs to stop buying old buildings, citing the suggested purchase of the office block on Van Buren Street just north of the county jail.

“We’ve put a whole lot of money in to old buildings,” she said.

Lee said the county had that building inspected and it would have required too much improvement. “We weren’t going to spend another dime on it,” he said.

Reichert said the county needs to consolidate its offices and sell off real estate it leases, such as the building on Riddle Street.

Lee said he didn’t necessarily disagree, but the county collects $3,000 a month in rent from the building.

Commissioner Dana Applewhite said the county doesn’t want any more problems with old buildings.

City Council member Sherri Spruill, speaking as a private citizen, warned about relocating county offices.

“People have to think of what it would mean if the county moved from downtown,” she said.

Sherri Spruill warned of the ramifications of moving county offices from downtown.