Architect presents multi‑story jail plan for Barnett property; commissioners hear $25.35 million estimate and parking, staffing concerns

County commissioners on Wednesday heard a detailed presentation from architect Jim Lykard on a proposed jail and sheriff’s office at the Barnett property, including preliminary layout options, parking counts and a high‑level cost estimate.

Lykard, the project architect, told the commission the scheme under review places the sheriff’s administrative and detention functions on the ground floor with courtrooms and clerks’ offices stacked above. “The key to this is that it does not require any adjoining property,” Lykard said, adding that the plan allows staged construction and alternates that could add inmate capacity later.

The presentation gave counts and estimates intended to guide schematic design. Lykard said the current footprint yields roughly 97 on‑site parking spaces serving the building and associated courts, and that adding about 41 spaces at the existing sheriff’s site would raise the total into the 130s depending on site adjustments. He described the current…