The Judicial Council of California has scheduled a meeting for Oct. 4 to provide information about a new state courthouse planned for Quincy.
The meeting, to be held from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in Serpilio Hall at the Plumas County Fairgrounds, will include a presentation by Pella McCormick, the director of the council’s Facilities Services office. McCormick will address the background of the plans to construct a $100 million three-courtroom building in Quincy.
Other topics include site selection, site acquisition and the next steps, which involve an environmental review of the project required by state law.
The Plumas County Board of Supervisors has been invited to attend the public meeting hosted by Judicial Council, said Blaine Corren, a spokesman for the Judicial Council.
After McCormick’s presentation, several Judicial Council representatives involved in the project will be at information stations set up around the hall. They will be available to answer questions, Corren said.
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.
The Council has identified three Quincy properties as potential sites for a new California courthouse: 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 $3.9 million to acquire approximately 1.88 acres for the 54,000 square foot building. The funds also include fees related to a state-required environmental review, Geotech services and the Criteria Architect, Corren said.
Controversy over the project has focused on the Dame Shirley Plaza site. The space has been embraced by the Quincy community, which has used it for concerts, weddings, memorial services, Tai Chi and dog obedience classes. Vocal opponents of building on the lawn are regular speakers at the county supervisors’ meetings, often raising “Save Dame Shirley” signs.
Supporters of construction on the site include downtown business owners, who say building a new courthouse even four blocks away would affect the local economy.
The Judicial Council asked the supervisors to decide by Aug. 8 if they were willing to sell Dame Shirley Plaza. Instead, the supervisors tabled a decision and asked the council to present the project to the public in detail at a community meeting to be held in Quincy.
The council hasn’t given the county a new deadline, Corren said. “This will be something that our staff will discuss after the meeting,” he told The Plumas Sun.
A livestream of the Oct. 4 meeting will be available at https://jud-ca-gov.zoomgov.com/j/1612154915. For audio call (669) 254-5252 or (669) 216-1590. The Webinar ID is 161 215 4915.
For background information and schedule for the project, visit the project webpage at www.courts.ca.gov/48475.htm. For more information, comments or questions, email: facilities@jud.ca.gov.
