How high?
Commissioners consider third floor for annex
By DAVID LOWE Staff Writer

PHOTO BY DAVID LOWE Gordon Marchant of Komatsu Architecture Inc. presents schematic designs of the exterior of the Lampasas County Office Building addition during a called meeting of the Lampasas County Commissioners Court. The court approved schematics and will vote later on facades, a canopy, a breezeway and whether to build the annex addition to support a future third floor on Pecan Street.

The Lampasas County Commissioners Court on Wednesday approved schematic designs for the Pecan Street addition to the Lampasas County Office Building.

The vote allows Komatsu Architecture Inc. to begin working on design development, although the Commissioners Court still needs to decide whether to form plans for a future third floor. The court also will select a demolition crew for the former Brooks building and vote on a canopy, facade and possible breezeway for the annex addition.

Strengthening the second floor of the annex addition to support a future third story will cost about $72,000, according to current estimates, Komatsu architect Gordon Marchant said. Schematic designs for a two-story annex addition include a parapet on the second-floor roof, but Marchant said commissioners could decide to remove the parapet if they want the roof built to allow for a third floor.

A two-story facility next to the current office building should meet the county's needs for records storage for at least 10 years, County Auditor Jack Clark said.

"Beyond that, I think a lot of it just depends on the growth of this county," he said.

The Lampasas County Office Building opened on Pecan Street in 2002.

"I don't see why, with the current records retention space and what will be added in the new building, it won't last 10 to 15 years before the need to reevaluate office space in the county," Clark added. "But then, that's what we thought the last time."

Precinct 3 Commissioner Lowell Ivey said he prefers designing the new annex building to allow for future upward expansion.

"If we ever need to do it, then [space] is available," he said. "If not, we'll have to buy land somewhere else."

Precinct 2 Commissioner Alex Wittenburg said he would rather plan just a two-story building. If the county needs more records storage space later, he said, it could build east of the current annex on a lot now used for parking. Building becomes costlier with each additional story, the commissioner said.

Commissioners also discussed a breezeway, which preliminary site plans show extending behind the annex buildings from Third Street to Fourth Street. Another breezeway would run along the north side of the new annex building, next to the former Mullican Dry Goods store.

An art committee has discussed planting greenery in the breezeways, and community members may paint murals in the alley behind the annex buildings, as well, Marchant said.

Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack B. Cox said the county should use the width of the proposed breezeway for office space rather than "for decoration." Wittenburg also said the county might need office space more than breezeways.

Schematic designs presented Wednesday show a 14- foot-8-inch walkway between the annex addition and Mullican Dry Goods. The breezeway in the alley behind the county buildings will be 7 1/2-feet wide.

County officials are trying to negotiate a cost-sharing agreement with the city of Lampasas for breezeways. The north side of the new annex building will include restrooms open to the public for events in the downtown area.

The new building will feature a brick facade, al- though commissioners have not yet decided the color.

Clark told Marchant county officials would like Komatsu to bid for the demolition of the Brooks building.

The estimate Komatsu has given the county includes some demolition of the building's slab but does not include a cost for tearing down the building itself.

The county auditor also said the Commissioners Court could issue a request for qualifications to give local general contractors a better chance of submitting the winning bid for building the new annex.

By law, the court must award the project to the lowest qualified bidder. Commissioners do not have to accept the contractor with the lowest bid price, Clark said, if they determine that contractor does not meet the qualifications county officials expect.