Van Buren County to add 3‑D scans to facilities master plan; board approves $15,000 amendment

Van Buren County Buildings & Grounds staff on May 13 recommended adding 3‑D digital scans of county buildings to the ongoing facilities master plan, and the Board of Commissioners approved a $15,000 contract amendment to fund the work.

Melissa, a Buildings & Grounds staff member, told the board that Tower Pinkster — the county’s planning consultant — proposed scanning each building and room in three dimensions so future capital improvement and space planning would have accurate room shapes, sizes and interior details. “It would take them about 3 weeks to a month to get it done,” Melissa said; she added that the consultant will process the scans after fieldwork and that staff will meet with departments to collect operational needs.

The master plan amendment was described as valuable for long-term CIP planning and for capturing details that are frequently missing from older paper blueprints. “It will give you the shape and size of each room, countertop heights, and the entire layout to provide information in the future or current planning and CIP planning,” Melissa said.

County staff told the board that the three‑week to one‑month fieldwork timeline would be followed by processing time and that department-level meetings would begin in late May to gather input. The board approved the contract amendment by voice vote; the motion passed and the amendment will be processed by administration and the county purchasing process.

Ending: Staff said the scanned files will be made available to departments as needed; the consultant will return finished products after processing and indexing for county use.