County to pay up to $62,000 for study of court siting

Sept. 20--QUEENSBURY -- Warren County supervisors agreed Friday to look at siting a possible court complex off the county Municipal Center campus, but the price tag and need for the study were hotly debated.

The board approved the transfer of up to $62,000 into the court capital project to have a consulting firm review four or five possible sites in Glens Falls and Queensbury.

But six supervisors voted against the proposal, with some saying the court facilities should stay on the Route 9 campus while others wondered how it would cost $62,000 to review possible sites.

The company, building design firm Clark Patterson Lee, has already been retained to assist with the court expansion project. But the firm said a separate contract was needed for the off-site work.

The county has to expand its Supreme, County, Family and Surrogate courts facilities because of overcrowding and the addition of a new Family Court judge in 2016.

Some have questioned whether it would be cheaper to move some or all of the court facilities off-site to existing buildings instead of adding on to the court wing of the Municipal Center.

Supervisors spoke out against the price as well as the idea of potentially moving court facilities off-site.

Warren County Administrator Paul Dusek said state court officials have not given an opinion on whether the county can move all or some of its court facilities off site.

A board that reviews court expansion and space issues would ultimately decide whether a move is approved after reviewing the county's proposal, Dusek said.

Paying $62,000 to look at the feasibility of existing buildings prompted concerns from some supervisors.

Warrensburg Supervisor Kevin Geraghty, county board chairman, said the price tag does seem high to look at the buildings, particularly when the county has already contracted with for Clark Patterson Lee for other work on the court project.

Queensbury Supervisor John Strough said the price gave him "sticker shock," while Lake George Supervisor Dennis Dickinson said moving the courts off campus would create difficulties for the county agencies that use them.

"We have a lot of land and space, we have a campus here," Dickinson said. "I think to move them off campus is a bad idea."

Others, though, said the review was necessary to make sure the county has fully explored the issue.

"In order to do our job for the taxpayers, we need to look at all options," Queensbury at-Large Supervisor Mark Westcott said.

Voting against the funding transfer were Strough, Dickinson, Queensbury at-Large Supervisor Rachel Seeber, Johnsburg Supervisor Ron Vanselow and Glens Falls 4th Ward Supervisor James Brock.

The sites whose owners have reached out to the county for consideration are the former Travelers Insurance building and the building at 101 Ridge St. in Glens Falls, and the former Queensbury Racquet Club building and the building at 1 Apollo Drive in Queensbury.

There is no price tag for a court expansion at the Municipal Center, though the work is expected to be a multimillion dollar project.

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