A public meeting to discuss a site for a new Plumas County Courthouse with the Judicial Council of California has been postponed.
Plumas County Board of Supervisors Chairman Greg Hagwood said the meeting, tentatively planned for Sept. 7, will not occur. No new date has been set.
At their Aug. 1 meeting the supervisors tabled a decision to sell property to the state to allow construction of a new three-courtroom building. They asked the Judicial Council to present the proposed $100 million project in detail at a community meeting to be held in Quincy.
The Council has identified three Quincy properties as potential sites: a Lawrence Street site now occupied by Feather Publishing Co.; the Stonehouse in east Quincy; and Dame Shirley Plaza, a green space adjacent to the Plumas County Courthouse. The state has allocated $7 million to acquire approximately 1.88 acres.
The Judicial Council asked the supervisors to decide by Aug. 8 if they are willing to sell Dame Shirley Plaza.
The current courthouse, which is owned by Plumas County, is overcrowded and does not meet modern operational and security requirements, according to a 2021 budget request. The existing court space cannot be renovated or expanded, the Judicial Council document states.
Construction on Dame Shirley plaza has generated widespread controversy. Since the county bought the space in the 1990s and improved it, Dame Shirley Plaza has been used for concerts and art shows, weddings and memorial services. Opponents of construction on the grassy lawn say it has revitalized downtown Quincy and welcomed visitors.
Members of the Quincy business community cite the economic benefits of keeping a new courthouse in downtown Quincy. Even constructing it four blocks away on Lawrence Street would hurt the local economy, said Amy Carey, owner of Carey Candy Co.
No one from the Judicial Council was available to provide information about a new date for meeting with the public.
