Orange County NC Website
The Board considered endorsing the Manager's recommended reallocation of space <br /> within the Whitted Building. <br /> Pam Jones said that the County has new facilities opening and that leaves a significant <br /> portion of building vacant. The Manager's recommendation is that space within the Whitted <br /> Building be reallocated as follows: <br /> 1. Basement level of Building A will be allocated for use by the Health Department (see <br /> attached drawing #1). <br /> This reallocation of space will enable the Health Department to develop clinic space to <br /> meet operational space requirements for the next three to five years, pending future <br /> decisions relative to the Hillsborough Commons project. The Health Director has <br /> expressed an interest in moving medical clinical services to the expansion area, thereby <br /> providing some much needed expansion area for the Dental Clinic. Dental Clinic <br /> expansion in Hillsborough would allow the County to release the leased space in Carr <br /> Mill Mall by the expiration of the lease in 2010. Pam Jones noted that consolidation of <br /> the dental program in Hillsborough would allow the County to save money required for <br /> the lease. <br /> OPC Mental Health contractors currently occupying space on this level will be <br /> encouraged to seek alternative arrangements in order to allow the orderly development <br /> of clinic space on the lower level. <br /> 2. Offices on the second level of Building B will be allocated for use by the Housing and <br /> Community Development Offices (see attached drawing #4) and will provide sufficient <br /> operational space, pending future decisions on space at Hillsborough Commons. <br /> The records room previously used by the Department of Social Services (DSS) will <br /> remain intact and assigned to DSS at this time. <br /> Some offices will remain unallocated on this floor pending future Manager recommended <br /> relocations. <br /> 3. As proposed, the second and third levels of Building A will be allocated to Orange <br /> County Schools Administration (see attached drawings #2 and #3). As Commissioners <br /> will note from the attached correspondence use of the Whitted space by the Board of <br /> Education will allow the school system to consolidate administrative staff currently <br /> housed at four school sites. This will in turn allow the repurposing of approximately 14 <br /> classrooms (approximately 14,700 square feet) for instructional use. <br /> Frank Clifton made reference to the dental clinic in Carrboro and said that this will just <br /> provide space when and if the Health Department needs it in the future. There will also be <br /> space for the Public Defender's Office. <br /> Commissioner Gordon said that she does have concerns about closing the dental clinic <br /> at Carr Mill Mall, which serves the Chapel Hill- Carrboro area. She thinks it is important to go <br /> on record as saying that no decision is being made at this time to close the clinic, before <br /> alternate space can be provided elsewhere in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area at the Southern <br /> Human Services Center as planned. She generally supports the Manager's recommendation, <br />