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CROTON, N.Y. The Croton Board of Trustees was presented with three different plans Monday for potential renovations of the villages municipal building, ranging in potential price from $5.2 million to $6.4 million.
The Croton Police Department, located on the first level of the building, is in need of more space, so in order to accommodate, the board presented options that include more than just expanding the department.
The biggest difference between the three plans is the courtroom. Option one estimated at around $5.2 million has no courtroom, with an assumption the court proceedings will be completed at an alternate location, possibly in Cortlandt. Option two priced at $6 million has a smaller courtroom than the current room. Option three has a bigger courtroom on the second floor, where the court clerks office would also be moved to. The room would be reconfigured as a shared meeting room and courtroom.
The courtroom is essentially the biggest change, although alternatives and modifications were brought up throughout the evening for each option. The board was told Monday that due to the lack of sprinkler systems and that piping and electric will most likely have to be replaced throughout the whole building nearly every inch of the building will be altered or replaced in some way.
Both of Crotons judges were in attendance at Mondays meeting and said the option for either no courtroom or a smaller one simply wouldnt work. Judge Sam Watkins Jr. said he had addressed the board about a year ago citing the same reasons why moving to Cortlandt isnt beneficial.
It removes the symmetry and the working abilities between the police department and the court, Watkins said, which we need to effectively operate as opposed to have police officers running back and forth between the two spaces. So we continue to object to that concept.
He added that the court is also growing exponentially and that increasing its size should not be done just for police department purposes. Watkins said he considers option No. 3 to be the most accommodating for space.
Another big decision the board faces is replacing its current air conditioning and heating systems. The engineers and architects explained the replacement is necessary, as even some of the existing work is not up to standards. The board said it can go with high-efficiency air and heating systems or go with geothermal units, which it said would be the most energy-efficient route. The estimate for installation of the high-efficiency units would be around $700,000 versus $1 million for the geothermal.
The plans presented Monday have been part of an on-going process and were based on master plans completed in 2008.
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