AG 2007 07 23 - Laserfiche WebLink

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~~~ SITE EVAL[IATION ... • Site I -the current Sheriff s Department sniff parking hx, located immediaeely adjacent to the existing jail. This site was previously evaluated, under different programmatic requirements, in the jail facilities needs assessment presenred in 2002. • Site 2 -the surface parking lot located immediately to the south of SouthTmst Bank, between Church Street and McCachem Street, extending south to the existing one-story commercial buildings at Church Street. • Si[e 3 -the surface parking lot locared between Barbrick Avenue and Corban Avenue, extending Erom Spring Street to the rear service area of the commercial buildings facing Union Street and the existing wurthouse. • Site 4-the parking lot at the inrersec[ion of Corban Avenue and Church Street. This site was originally limited to property currendy owned by the county, but was expanded during the course of this study to include the acquisition of additional property extending to the intersection of Corban Avenue and Union Street. Many of the qualities of these sires arc aesthetiq architectural, or civic in nature and do not necessarily present a quantifiable advan[age, in terms of immediate economic jmpact, over [hose of other sites. 1'he sites currendy lack a defined street edge and allow surface parking ro occupy land chat couhl be devoted to govemmenc/business use, or to more dense parking with some retail or commercial component ac street level. Mach'of the downtown area outside of the main section of Unimr Street between Cabarets Avenue and Corban Avenue lacks a strong street edge or urban character and is characterized by alternating street front buildings and surface parking lots, which brrak dte rhythm oEtradicional downtown development. Occupation of any of the sites would provide the County with an opportunity ro strengthen the urban fabric of downtown Concord. To address the more objective characteristics of each site, a yualitacive scoring system was developed, which :usigned a value to dre following criteria: 1) Proximity to existing courthouse/ability co interact with existing facility 2) Land area far immediate developmen[ 3) An:cssibility 4) Topography 5) Vegetation 6) Potential acquisition cost (speculative at this time) 7) Potential development case 8) Expandability 9) Need for additional property and amount required 10) Zoning 11) Parking availability Sites 1, ?, and 3 immediaeely presented significant concerns because of their limited area; none of the [hree could accommodate jail constmccion and reynired staff parking, making the acquisition of additional property an immediate requitement. Sire 4 presented the only feasible opportunity to locate jail construction and parking on the same county-owned site. The proposed expansion of Site 4 to include property extending to Lipion Street South presented the best opportmtiry for long-term planning of jail and courts expansion. In addition m meeting the immediate and haute physical needs for the jail and courn, Si[e 4 presented the opportunity to create both a strong county government campus at the eas[ corner of downtown Concord, tying the County Government Center on Church Sweet more directly to Union S[ceet aad the coordsouse. Demolition of the current Sheriffs Department parking lot, once jail functions ore relocated, strengthens this connection and could also provide a public green space at the center of downmwq reinforcing the traditional concept of the courthouse squarC as the center of public activity. April?fNW 2 ~` G •'1