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Commissioners approve seeking bids to replace deteriorating courthouse gazebo
Summary
After a presentation from a citizens group and the project architect, Brewster County Commissioners voted to obtain bids to remove an aging wooden gazebo on the courthouse lawn and build a smaller ADA-accessible structure paid for from historical restricted funds.
A group calling itself the 'Ladies of the Lawn' presented plans to remove the existing wooden gazebo on the courthouse lawn (in place since about 1982) and replace it with a smaller, lower, ADA-accessible structure on a concrete pad. Kirsten Moody explained the gazebo suffers from termite damage and rot and asked the court to permit demolition and return with construction bids.
Justin Gilmore, the project's architect (present via remote connection), described the design: a wood-framed structure wrapped in cementitious fiberboard with a concrete foundation and a metal roof. "We did not intend to extend [the pad] beyond the perimeter of the building itself," the architect said, noting the pad will align with the existing sidewalk for handicap access.
County officials said funding would come from historical restricted funds and that crews would aim to avoid scheduled events; the court approved a motion to solicit bids for demolition and replacement and instructed staff to return with cost estimates. The court also requested plans and timeline be provided to accommodate an upcoming Fourth of July event.
