County takes further steps in restoration

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

The Commissioners’ Court last week voted to temporarily relocate the district courtroom and to move a precinct ballot box in the first steps in vacating the aging Donley County Courthouse.

Monday’s actions were the most recent decisions in the long process of the upcoming $2.9 million restoration of the 1890 courthouse, which will require the county offices and records to be relocated for two years.

Commissioners approved a resolution designating Clarendon College’s Bairfield Activity Center as the temporary facility to hold county and district court as well as court proceedings for Precincts 1 & 2.

Commissioners also decided to temporarily move the location of the voting box for Precinct 2-01 from the courthouse to the courthouse annex.

Still in question is where county offices and records will be moved to.

The court approved two contracts relating to the restoration. John Kiehl of the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission will provide administrative services for the restoration grant from the Texas Historical Commission (THC). And Ken Smith of Southwest Securities Group, Inc., was hired as a consultant to assist the county with financing its matching funds.

Also last week, a three-member team from the county’s Austin-based architect firm spent four days going over the courthouse from the roof to the foundation.

“Donley County is our favorite project and also the most challenging project,” said architect John Volz. “We’re really excited about the opportunities here.”

Volz & Associates, Inc., is providing architectural services for courthouse restorations in Grimes, Llano, and Sutton counties. The firm is also working on the courthouse master plan for Fayette County, which hopes to receive funding in the THC’s second round of grants.

Information from last week’s survey of the building will be used in an upcoming report to THC, according to Volz intern Tracy Hirschman.

The design development package must be turned in to THC by July 24 and will explain what work is planned for the courthouse, Hirschman said. Volz will then begin working on construction documents in preparation for the bidding process.