Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Capital Project topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Consultants outline 63,000 sq.ft. courthouse concept; clerk space increase draws questions
Summary
Dewberry presented space-programming and comparisons for a proposed new Fauquier County courthouse, showing a concept of about 63,000 sq.ft. and a roughly 25% increase for the clerk's office (from ~6,380 to ~8,000 sq.ft.); board members pressed for justification on long-term records storage and jury assembly sizing.
Consultants from Dewberry presented a courthouse project update to the Board of Supervisors on March 12, walking through the methodology used to build program and concept square-footage estimates and comparing those figures to peer counties.
Jim Bate of Dewberry said the design work combines several models — recent filings, department recommendations and population growth — and resulted in a program/ concept that takes the project to roughly 63,000 square feet. "We built a program up and that's what it came to and it, you know, verified that they're in pretty good shape," Bate said. He noted the design leaves capacity for an additional circuit judge, district judge and JDR judge and allows for future expansion on site.
Board members focused questions on clerk space and records retention. Dewberry presented that the circuit clerk currently occupies about 6,380 sq.ft., with a proposed program near 8,000 sq.ft. "They're getting about a 25% increase in square footage, which covers their needs well today and into the future," the consultant said; supervisors asked whether that increase leaves sufficient room for long‑term records growth. Consultants said they would re-check jury assembly space figures and confirmed the concept includes a roughly 2,820 sq.ft. jury assembly.
The presentation also emphasized adherence to Virginia court space standards and peer comparisons; Dewberry noted some counties had previously over‑designed courtrooms and adjusted downward. No final design or funding action was taken; consultants said schematic design would be initiated within the CIP in FY26 and construction documents would be developed in FY28 with construction bidding in subsequent years.
