Commissioners outline space, repair needs in media tour
Brad Hundt/Observer-Reporter
Justin Welsh, Washington County’s director of building and grounds, points out a puddle caused by leaks in the parking garage of the county complex.
Brad Hundt/Observer-Reporter
The ceiling of the parking garage in the Washington County complex showing signs of deterioration.
Brad Hundt/Observer-Reporter
Commissioner Nick Sherman discusses the county’s space needs and how they are not being met in the current complex on a media tour Wednesday afternoon.
On Wednesday afternoon, Washington County Commissioners Diana Irey Vaughan and Nick Sherman came to bury the building that houses county offices, not to praise it.
Well, not literally bury it, but the two commissioners tried to make the case that the 40-year-old, seven-story structure in Courthouse Square that contains Washington County’s offices for elections, children and youth services and other departments has become outmoded and should be abandoned. They argued that the cost of fixing the building is more than its actual worth, and that it no longer meets the county’s space needs.
In August, the commissioners agreed to submit an offer to purchase the Crossroads Center, a 15-year-old office building located across Beau Street from the Courthouse Square complex. That building is now at 50% capacity, Irey Vaughan said, and would provide more space. A purchase price has not yet been revealed.
The decision centers on “what is in the best financial interest of the county,” Irey Vaughan said.
She quoted the estimated value of the Courthouse Square structure of $3 million, while the cost of repairing it would be in excess of $10 million.
Irey Vaughan and Sherman, who represent the Republican majority on the board of commissioners, have been proponents of the plan. The third commissioner, Democrat Larry Maggi, opposes it, saying that the county would end up being a landlord for firms that are already in the Crossroads Center.
Other opponents argue it would take more commercial property off the tax rolls of the city of Washington and increase the tax burden for residents.
In both a PowerPoint presentation and tour, much emphasis was put on how waterlogged the Courthouse Square building has become. This is because a membrane that surrounds the building is about 20 years past its life expectancy, according to Justin Welsh, the county’s director of building and grounds. This has led to water infiltrating some offices after heavy rains, and has been particularly tough on the parking garage that serves as the building’s foundation.
“The drainage system can’t keep up,” Welsh said.
The two commissioners also said space limitations in the building has made work harder for county employees.
“They’re working on top of each other, and it makes for a terrible work environment,” Sherman said.
If the plan to purchase the Crossroads Center comes to fruition, Irey Vaughan said the Courthouse Square building would most likely be demolished and the site made available for development.
On Thursday, members of the board of commissioners unanimously approved paying $7,300 from the general fund to Partner Engineering and Science Inc., based in Torrance, Calif., to inspect the condition of the Crossroads Center building property and perform environmental assessments.
Irey Vaughan noted Partner Engineering’s proposal was the lowest responsible bid received. A local bid for similar services was $18,000.
Staff writer Barbara Miller contributed to this story.