Agenda - 04-17-2000-9b - Laserfiche WebLink

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Based on information received by the Board in September 1999 a master plan was commissioned for the Hillsborough Court Campus. The goal of the master plan was to: ^ Ensure that the Board had sufficient accurate data whereby to make decisions about the future development on the site; and ^ To ensure that any structure built as a security checkpoint would be compatible with future development; and ^ To determine how much of the long-term- court needs could be met on the Hillsborough campus; and ^ Perhaps most importantly, to identify obstacles to future development on the Hillsborough site, such as underground utilities, poor soils, etc. that might significant increase the cost of construction on the site or preclude development in certain areas of the site. In response to those goals, the Court Campus Master Plan being presented will reflect two design options that the Board could pursue. Both options provide that the court facility would be expanded in four phases, incorporating facility and parking needs into each phase. Construction costs of the phases vary, but are estimated to be in the range of $5 - $6 million per phase. Amore complete discussion of development costs will be presented at a subsequent meeting. The Board is also requested to provide feedback in the following areas: • To the extent possible, express a design concept preference (articulated as Option A or Option B in the report); and • To provide direction as to the next steps the Board anticipates in the pursuit of court facilities. It should be noted that the articulation of these steps is meant only to foster productive discussion and should not be construed as a call for final decisions. 'The exact scope of work for Court campus development will be considered by the Board during an upcoming meeting. Steps that the Board may wish to consider are as follows: 1. The Board could agree to pursue at least Hillsborough Phase I construction to address the more urgent space needs in the Clerk of Court and Sheriff .Offices. Note: Since Phase I construction would include office space for the Clerk of Court, it would enable the County to relocate the Clerk's staff from leased space and use the, approximately $60,000 savings in rent to offset the cost of debt service. 2. Since the report recommends specific uses only for Phase I, the Board may also choose to direct staff to work with the Architect in developing a programming document that would define the uses of the space added as a result of Phases II, III and IV. This analysis would be based in large part on the needs assessment presented in 1995 and would allow the County to determine what functions may not fit the Hillsborough court campus and may therefore define certain construction needs for Chapel Hill court facilities. 3. In tandem with this effort, should be a discussion with the Town of Chapel Hill regarding their commitment to maintaining a court presence in Downtown Chapel Hill. This comprehensive look will, allow the County to make informed decisions regarding their statutory responsibility to provide court facilities in the County.