WASHINGTON CO. COMMISSIONERS APPROVE EMERGENCY COURTHOUSE REPAIRS
Washington County Commissioners accepted a proposal today (Tuesday) for emergency safety repairs to the exterior of the courthouse.
Washington County Courthouse fell to the ground
last month. The panel (right) sits next to the
courthouse steps that face Main Street.
Commissioners will move forward with Phoenix 1 Restoration and Construction out of Farmer’s Branch, north of Dallas, to remove loose granite slates on the outside of the courthouse that have deteriorated in condition. One of those panels fell off of the courthouse last month, but no one was hurt.
Commissioner Kirk Hanath said the county met in mid-December to discuss the incident with the Texas Historical Commission (THC) and Architexas, the firm the county is working with through its exterior courthouse restoration efforts. He called this a “life safety situation” and said these repairs are the first stage of the greater project to perform exterior courthouse improvements.
According to Washington County Facilities Manager Bobby Branham, the panel fell off of the courthouse during the overnight hours and went into a flower bed.
The courthouse was built in 1939 and is a historic property, thus requiring the THC’s involvement in the project.
The proposal from Phoenix 1 includes removing marble spandrel panels below the windows, removing a marble header above the ADA entrance, applying temporary plywood panels and waterproofing at the removed marble panels, and restoring landscaping upon project completion.
The safety project is valued at $249,483. Hanath said the THC has an emergency grant for this process, and the county has applied for it. He said work will start immediately.
The full project to restore the courthouse exterior is listed at $3.55 million, with the THC covering 70 percent and the county responsible for the remaining 30 percent, or $1.06 million.
In other business today, the court:
- Tabled action on adopting guidelines and criteria for granting tax phase-in in Washington County. Brenham City Councilmembers voted in December to re-adopt the guidelines for tax phase-in in a city reinvestment zone, but commissioners wanted additional time to meet with Brenham | Washington County Economic Development Director Teresa Rosales and evaluate the proposed guidelines.
- Approved an invitation for bids for the EMS Station #2 parking lot project. In July, commissioners agreed to sell land on the property where the station is located, in order to accommodate TxDOT’s Highway 290 cloverleaf project. The state paid the county $349,000 for the land. Bids will be due to the county by February 13th at 10 a.m., with a date to be determined for the court to accept a bid.
- Declared certain items and assets belonging to the Precinct 2 Constable’s Office as salvage county property, due to no longer being in working condition.
- Heard monthly, quarterly or annual reports from several offices and departments, including the sheriff’s office, district attorney, economic development, county and district clerks, justices of the peace, auditor, tax assessor-collector, treasurer, constables, elections and veterans service office. Commissioners also received the Washington County Historical Commission’s annual report.
There they go again destroying our history. By the way destroying the courthouse and building a new one won’t open the doors. To open the doors we need a new judge.
I agree with the statement above to demolish this building.
AT LEAST A NEW BUILDING MAY HAVE ALL THE DOIRS OPEN INSTEAD OF LOCKING 3 AND LEAVING ONE UNLOCKED.
To replicate today, the historic interior of the existing courthouse, it would be cost prohibitive. As a local citizen with appreciation for Texas Courthouse History, the idea to suggest to demo Washington County’s Courthouse, and to start over, can only be derived from ignorance.
So glad that the large piece of Granite did not hit anyone, luckily it was winter, so no lawn maintenance was being done. could of easily hit someone while they were edging or mowing.
They need to bulldoze that building down and relocate it . Still trying to make a silk purse out of a pigs ear . Horrible building!!!
Agreed…doze it and relocate. That space can be used to continue to support our wonderful downtown. But don’t expect this commissioners to do anything that smart
I totally agree with you
Hell NO! This is not the time to destroy our history but maintain it. My God Brenham people don’t let this get started. ….Wanted do something? Stop making every building downtown a “bar.” Respect our town’s reputation. Ten wine bars, thirteen pizza restaurants, same with Mexican food and taco’s sold everywhere.
Strange that the people who frequent all of those are likely those who are complaining about the immigration problem, and yet they are spending every eating hour at a Mexican restaurant. It would almost seem to me that somebody has not proposed demolition of the Giddings-Stone Mansion; some developer could come in there and put apartments up on that hill and small patio homes all the way in that vacant area in front of it. The Giddings Wilkins house – it needs to go too – – nobody lives there, and it’s not doing anything, just being a burden on the local economy. The ruins of Baylor at Independence could be torn down and those rocks be used as some facade of a new building here in Brenham. Those little houses out there at the park as well could be sold off and used for hunting cabins somewhere else. Money and move-ins have changed this town beyond comparison. For being the “Birthplace of Texas”, you would hardly know it.