Published: February 01, 2008 06:24 pm      

State approves judicial center

The local judicial center project made it through the ultimate approval process last week.

The approval for the judicial center project plans came from the Court Facilities Standards Committee made up of 10 representatives from the Kentucky Executive, Judicial and Legislative branches of government and the Administrative Office of the Courts, as well as a county official appointed by the governor.

“Based on the committee’s approval of the design plans, the next step is demolition of the buildings that are located at the judicial center’s future site in downtown Somerset,” said Jamie Ball, public information specialist with the Administrative Offices of the Court.

The committee reviews design plans, cost estimates and financing proposals for new court facilities statewide.

“It was exciting,” said Pulaski County Judge-executive Barty Bullock, who is chairperson of the local Judicial Planning and Development Board, “especially when they approved it (the plan).”

The judicial center will include courtrooms for circuit, district and family courts, judges’ offices, the circuit clerk’s office, probation and parole, and those things directly related to the court system.

Bullock said during the meeting the standards committee inquired about why it had taken so long to get to this point in the project and about the security in a couple different locations throughout the judicial center.

The judge said the local planning and development board explained to the committee that the process had taken as long as it had because it had taken a long time to decide upon a location and acquire the property, however, in the end they were able to acquire the properties without condemnation.

The local Planning and Development Board began meeting in late 2005.

The Pulaski County Judicial Center project was one of the 18 judicial center projects authorized by the 2005 General Assembly and funded by the 2006 General Assembly. The original project plan was for a 77,000-square-foot judicial center with an estimated total project cost of $22.4 million.

The complex will be located in the area of Market Street and South Maple Street in downtown Somerset. The plan took properties that were along Fountain Square and South Maple Streets, along with Market Street.

Bullock said the committee also inquired about the security of a small area where people would be able to come and get their driver’s licenses without going through security and the security between family and district courts.

He said the board suggested that the areas between family and district court be partitioned off where people would have to go through security again before being able to go from one court to another.

Ball said demolition on the project should take place in 90 to 120 days and proposals are currently being solicited for geotechnical and environmental services to gather information about the site after demolition, such as whether there is enough rock and soil at the site to support the building and whether there is any asbestos present. She said that both these studies are normal with this type of project.

While those studies are taking place, Ball said architect Hugh Bennett with Bennett and Rosser Architects will begin working with judges and other officials who will occupy the new building to plan the facility’s interior layout, including office arrangements.

Properties which have been or will be taken for the project include the former storefronts of The Pink Bee, Kasandra’s Pie Barn, and Brandywine Studios, God’s Food Pantry, Ron Wilson’s office, the Smith Staples building, Coldiron offices, the Salutsky building, David Rogers Photography, The Mills building, Southern Office Supply, the Bowan building, and the First and Farmers Bank drive-thru.

All properties have been acquired except the Mills property.

Bullock noted that attorney Dan Venters has spoken with the IRS about the liens on the Mills property and they must have one more appraisal done on the property before closing on the land.

The Pulaski County Judicial Center is scheduled to be completed by December 2009.

While the Court Facilities Standards Committee approved phase one of the project, the rest of the phases within the project are handled by the Department of Facilities and the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC). The AOC is the fiscal agent for the Kentucky Court of Justice and oversees construction of court facilities statewide, as well as supports the activities of approximately 4,000 court system employees, including the elected offices of justices, judges and circuit court clerks.

The next planning and development board meeting will be held at 5 p.m. on Feb. 26. Members of the Judicial Planning and Development Board include Bullock, chair; circuit clerk George Flynn, vice chair; magistrate Mike Wilson; circuit judge Jeffrey Burdette; attorney John Prather Jr.; and Sarah Boswell Dent, representing the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC).

The purpose of the board is to ensure that county and court officials have input on all aspects of the project.