{"id":12684,"date":"2015-03-21T07:49:41","date_gmt":"2015-03-21T11:49:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/?p=12684"},"modified":"2015-03-21T07:56:22","modified_gmt":"2015-03-21T11:56:22","slug":"report-of-the-historic-courthouse-committee-lcc-2015-03-09","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2015\/03\/report-of-the-historic-courthouse-committee-lcc-2015-03-09.html","title":{"rendered":"Report of the Historic Courthouse Committee @ LCC 2015-03-09"},"content":{"rendered":"

\r\nNo education, all law enforcement:\r\n\r\nSheriff’s Office<\/a> or\r\n\r\nPublic defender’s<\/a> office.\r\n\r\n\"300x413<\/a>\r\nEither would save the county money in the long run and preserve the courthouse\r\nthrough use of its services (heat, light, air conditioning).\r\nPlus some points on renovating the courthouse building and grounds.\r\nJudge McLane referred to this report in his\r\n\r\ntalk at the Commission Work Session 9 March 2105<\/a>,\r\nin which he said it would not be possible for VSU to use the courthouse\r\nwithout “some pretty dramatic and we think negative” changes to the building.\r\n

\r\nIn his cover letter, Judge McLane said he was not sending the actual\r\nreport to the Commissioners, yet clearly they were reading it in the\r\nWork Session, because they asked questions from it.\r\nAnd now you, the public can see the report.\r\nLAKE did not get it from the Commission, which so far as we know has\r\nnot published it.\r\nThe cover letter and the report are below in full.\r\nFor context and videos of all three courthouse hearings, see\r\n\r\nCourthouse Preservation Committee Meetings<\/a>.\r\n

\r\n

\r\nH. ARTHUR MCLANE\r\n
\r\nP. O. Box 505\r\n
\r\nVALDOSTA, GA 31603\r\n

\r\nJanuary 12, 2015\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nHon. Bill Slaughter\r\n
\r\nChairman, Lowndes County\r\n
\r\nBoard of Commissioners\r\n
\r\nP. O. Box 1349\r\n
\r\nValdosta, GA 31603\r\n

\r\nRe: Historic Courthouse Preservation Committee\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n<\/a>\r\nDear Chairman Bill:\r\n

\r\nThe Historic Lowndes County Courthouse Preservation Committee has\r\ncompleted its work and I am enclosing our final report.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nThe committee appreciates the trust placed in us by the Board of\r\nCommissioners and we hope that we have fiilfilled our\r\nresponsibilities in a manner satisfactory to you. If you have any\r\nquestions of us, or if we can assist you further, please contact us.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nSincerely yours,\r\n
\r\n
\r\nHistoric Lowndes County Courthouse\r\n
\r\nPreservation Committee\r\n
\r\n
\r\nBy [signed]\r\n
\r\nH. Arthur McLane, Chair\r\n

\r\nHAMc:m\r\n
\r\nc: (letter only) Commissioners\r\n
\r\nCommittee members\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\n

\r\nLowndes County Historic Courthouse\r\n
\r\nPreservation Committee\r\n
\r\nReport to the Board of Commissioners\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"300x413<\/a>\r\nThe Lowndes County Board of Commissioners appointed the undersigned as a committee to consider, and recommend to the Board of\r\nCommissioners, proposed usage of the historic Lowndes County\r\nCourthouse for the foreseeable future.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nSoon after the appointment, the members of the committee toured the\r\ncourthouse to review the overall layout and usable space. The\r\ncommittee also obtained information from Chad McLeod and other\r\nmembers of the building maintenance staff concerning the overall\r\nstability of the building and the probability of needed upgrades and\r\nmodifications to the building and the operating systems within it.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nFurther active work was postponed until an election could be held to\r\ndetermine whether or not SPLOST fimds would ultimately be available\r\nto fund the cost of necessary modifications and upgrades. With the\r\npositive election results on the SPLOST issue, further consideration\r\nwas given to the best means of pursuing the process for gathering\r\ninformation concerning the opinions of the general public concerning\r\nthe courthouse. Informal announcements and comments were made by the\r\ncommittee members to civic clubs and interested citizens requesting\r\ntheir opinions concerning the courthouse and its future use.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nThere was total unanimity in comments made to the committee members\r\non three points: (1) the historic courthouse should be preserved and\r\nupgraded as necessary to provide for its future use as an iconic\r\npart of downtown Valdosta; (2) the main courtroom on the second\r\nfloor, and the rooms on that floor, should be maintained for\r\nfuture use for high-profile cases, special ceremonies, and other\r\nappropriate related uses; and (3) the interior and exterior should\r\nbe renovated and upgraded to restore the building, insofar as\r\nreasonably possible, to its historic appearance. While no specific\r\ninquiry has been made by the committee since the November, 2014,\r\nelections, it has been the understanding of the members of the committee\r\nthat the members of the Board of Commissioners concurred in the comments\r\nmade to the committee members and the same opinions held by the members of the committee.\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"300x414<\/a>\r\nThe committee then decided that the best means of affording the\r\ngeneral public an opportunity for meaningful input into the overall\r\nsituation would be to have public hearings. With the valuable input\r\nand assistance of County Clerk Paige Dukes and her staff, three\r\npublic hearings were scheduled in the summer of 2014. The hearings\r\nwere held on June 9,2014, at 6:00 pm, June 10, 2014 at 4:00 pm. and\r\nJune 12, 2014, at 1:00 pm, in order to accommodate as many members\r\nof the public as possible. There was a very good turnout at the\r\npublic hearings. Approximately fifieen people spoke at the hearings\r\nand some additional material was submitted after the hearings.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nA broad variety of concepts for consideration were submitted. These\r\nconcepts included: a business incubator for Valdosta and Lowndes\r\nCounty; a satellite location for educational expansion by an\r\ninstitution not currently located in Lowndes County, such as the\r\nSavannah College of Art and Design; a location for state government\r\noffices; a downtown location for VSU offices and\/or programs;\r\nrelocation of the Public Defender’s office from its current location\r\nin the Bank of America building; administrative offices for the\r\nLowndes County Sheriff’s office; a tourist welcome office; and\r\nothers.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nIn considering each concept presented, the committee addressed eight\r\nquestions: (1) would the concept be a clearly legal use for\r\ncounty-owned real estate; (2) would the concept favor, or appear to\r\nfavor, a particular business or class of businesses over another\r\nbusiness or classes of busi- nesses; (3) would an incoming concept,\r\nor one new to the community, be in competition with businesses or\r\norganizations already located in Valdosta- \/Lowndes County; (4)\r\nwould the concept be a new or different concept from one already in\r\nValdosta\/Lowndes County; (5) would the concept require substantial\r\nchange in the structure of the courthouse; (6) would the concept be\r\nfinancially favorable to Lowndes County; (7) would the concept\r\npromote efficiency in its operations and\/or Lowndes County\r\noperations; and\r\n(8) would the concept enhance downtown visitation by the citizens.\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"300x413<\/a>\r\nAfter reviewing the information received, and discussing the\r\ninformation in a meeting, the committee hereby recommends two\r\nconcepts to the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners for their\r\nconsideration. The two concepts, and the committee’s decision on the\r\nquestions addressed, are in alphabetical order according to the\r\ntitle ascribed to the concept by the organization involved.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n
  1. Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office -Administrative Offices.<\/u> The\r\nLowndes County Sheriff’s office has outgrown ltS current available\r\nspace at the Lowndes County Jail, and is in great need for larger\r\nquarters. It strongly appears that, if other space is not otherwise\r\nobtained, it will be necessary to construct additional facilities in\r\nthe near future. Placing the LCSO administrative offices in the\r\nhistoric courthouse would be a clearly legal use of that\r\ncounty-owned real estate. Placing the administrative offices in the\r\nhistoric courthouse would not favor the LCSO over a private business\r\nor classes of business. Placing the offices would not be in\r\ncompetition with another business already located in Lowndes County.\r\nPlacing the offices would only be a continuation of operations now\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\nbeing conducted by the LCSO, but would allow the LCSO a much better,\r\nand more reasonably roomy, working environment for administration.\r\nPlacing the offices would not require a substantial change in the\r\nstructure of the courthouse. Placing the offices would be\r\nfinancially favorable to Lowndes County in that it would (a) cost\r\nsubstantially less than the construction of new offices and (b)\r\nwould, through regular use, prevent deterioration of the electrical,\r\nHVAC and plumbing systems in e courthouse. Placing the offices would\r\npromote efficiency in the operation of the LCSO in that it would (a)\r\nprovide better administrative working conditions than now exist and\r\n(b) would provide quicker response time, when and if needed, to the\r\nnew judicial and administrative complex, city hall and the Valdosta\r\npolice department, the Lowndes County tax office, and other\r\nemergencies in the downtown and central Lowndes County area. And\r\nplacing the offices would, in some measure, enhance downtown\r\nvisitation in that citizens who now visit the LCSO to file reports,\r\nreport for interviews, complete fingerprint requirements for certain\r\npermits and complete\r\nother routine civil business would be in central downtown rather than\r\nat a detention facility.\r\n
  2. Southern Circuit Public Defender’s Office.<\/u> The Southern Circuit\r\n\r\n\"300x413<\/a>\r\nPublic Defender’s office is, likewise, in need of additional office\r\nspace. Its current space, in the Bank of America building, is\r\nsomewhat difficult to find if someone is not already familiar with\r\nits location. Placing the Public Defender’s office in the historic\r\ncourt- house would be a clearly legal use of that county-owned real\r\nestate. Placing the PD office in the historic courthouse would not\r\nfavor the PD office over a private business or classes of business.\r\nPlacing the office would not be in competition with another business\r\nalready located in Lowndes County. Placing the office would only be\r\na continuation of operations now being conducted by the PD office,\r\nbut would allow the PD a better and more convenient working environ-\r\nment and would, in addition, give the PD office easier access to\r\nboth the historic courtroom and the courtrooms in the judicial\r\ncomplex for practice with witnesses and courtroom preparation for\r\ntrials. Placing the PD office in the historic courthouse would not\r\nrequire a substantial change in the structure of the courthouse.\r\nPlacing the PD office in the historic courthouse would be\r\nfinancially favorable to Lowndes County in that it would (a)\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\neliminate the current payment of annual rent which the committee\r\nunderstands is approximately $ 72,000.00 per year and (b) would,\r\nthrough regular use, prevent deterioration of the electrical, HVAC\r\nand plumbing systems in the courthouse. Placing the office would\r\npromote efficiency in the oper- ation of the PD office in that it\r\nwould (a) make the offices easier to find for those not already\r\nfamiliar with its location and (b) would provide faster and easier\r\naccess to records in the Clerk’s office and the courtrooms. And\r\nplacing the offices would, in some measure, enhance downtown\r\nvisitation in that it would be easier for many people to locate the\r\noffice.\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

    \r\nThe committee, as a part of its overall inspection of the historic\r\ncourthouse and the block on which it is located, believes that it\r\nwould be helpful to the Board of Commissioners to make four general\r\nrequests and\/or recommendations:\r\n<\/p>\r\n

      \r\n
    1. \r\n\r\n\"300x413<\/a>\r\n When the main courtroom on the second floor was renovated\r\nin the late 1980s, “energy efficient” lights were\r\ninstalled in the ceiling. Those lights have not worked\r\nsatisfactorily; when power is interrupted, as in a thunderstorm or\r\nother power failure, those lights do not return to full lighting\r\ncapacity for three to seven minutes and, in addition, they have, on\r\na number of occasions, made noise that interferes with the ability\r\nto hear clearly. The committee is aware that much progress has been\r\nmade with LED and other types of lighting and feels that the current\r\nlights should be replaced with new lighting that will return to full\r\npower and lighting capacity immediately when power is restored.\r\n
    2. Again, when the main courtroom on the second floor was\r\nrenovated, the aluminum-framed windows were replaced with dark-colored\r\n(anodized ?) metal which very closely resembled the window\r\nframes shown in old photographs of the courthouse. The committee\r\nrecommends that that treatment be done for all remaining windows in\r\nthe courthouse, as well as for doors at outside entrances to the\r\ncourthouse.\r\n
    3. When the courthouse was originally built, light fixtures were\r\nplaced on either side of the entrances. Those fixtures were long ago\r\ndiscarded, but several years ago, attractive light fixtures were\r\nmounted at the locations of the original fixtures. It apparently\r\ncould not be determined, at that time, where the wiring in the\r\nfixture boxes led so that the fixtures could be operable again. The\r\ncommittee recommends that wiring be installed so that the fixtures\r\ncan, once again, be lit.\r\n
    4. \r\nBenches and a nice seating area have been placed at the northeast\r\narea of the courthouse yard, under the live oak tree. The committee\r\nrecommends that that area be enhanced and that one or more\r\nadditional areas be established so that visitors to the downtown\r\narea can visit and refresh themselves in an attractive park-like\r\nspot.\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

      \r\nThe committee appreciates the trust placed in us by the Board\r\nof Commissioners, and we hope that we have fullfilled our\r\nresponsibilities in a manner satisfactory to you. If you have any\r\nquestions of us, or if we can assist you further, please contact us.\r\n

      \r\n\r\n\"300x413<\/a>\r\nRespectfully submitted, this 12th May of January, 2015.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

      \r\n[signed]\r\n
      \r\nH. Arthur McLane, Chair\r\n

      \r\n[signed]\r\n
      \r\nDonald O. Davis\r\n

      \r\n[signed]\r\n
      \r\nL. Michael Dover\r\n

      \r\n[signed]\r\nW. Tyson McLane\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

      \r\n -jsq\r\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"No education, all law enforcement: Sheriff’s Office or Public defender’s office. Either would save the county money in the long run and preserve the courthouse through use of its services (heat, light, air conditioning). Plus some points on renovating the courthouse building and grounds. Judge McLane referred to this report in his talk at the […]","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[14,15,2,19,20,88,3],"tags":[8330,8361,2628,8704,8705,8755,8701,8699,10,8709,8702,8710,91,12,7,8734,3092,652,8700,6,90],"class_list":["post-12684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-economy","category-education","category-government","category-history","category-law","category-lowndes-county-commission","category-transparency","tag-9-march-2015","tag-arthur-mcclane","tag-courthouse","tag-economy","tag-education","tag-energy-efficiency","tag-georgia","tag-government","tag-gretchen-quarterman","tag-history","tag-lake","tag-law","tag-lcc","tag-lowndes-area-knowledge-exchange","tag-lowndes-county","tag-lowndes-county-commission","tag-public-defender","tag-sheriff","tag-transparency","tag-valdosta","tag-work-session"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p585fK-3iA","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12684"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12684\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12688,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12684\/revisions\/12688"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}