Using West Park Place buildings still “an option” for district courts

NORWICH – No options are off the table, a representative from the Sixth Judicial District court system said Wednesday during a discussion of utilizing space in the former Chenango County Sheriff’s Office and Jail.

Town supervisors are set to vote Monday on spending about $375,000 plus architect’s fees on the West Park Place buildings. The amount is for demolishing the old cell structure to separate the two buildings, making site improvements, reconstructing the exterior and completing some new construction. Finance Committee Chairman Lawrence Wilcox said Feb. 1 that he hoped the county would be able to find an entity to cover the interior work. The entire project is estimated to cost $2 million.

The Sixth Judicial District is running out of space locally, and if a much hoped for additional multi-bench judge is appointed in the near future, the county will be obligated to come up with more. An assistant for Administrative Judge Judith F. O’Shea said, “Nobody’s going to say any options are off the table.”

“Overlaying all of this is the need to come up with a long-term plan for the courts,” he said.

While members of the Finance Committee were mulling over the project last week, Town of Pharsalia Supervisor Dennis Brown said the court system was no longer interested in ponying up the funds to cover the interior renovations. Town of German Supervisor Rick Schlag asked, “Why?”