Sunday, September 27, 2009
Courthouse…
I get so tired of repeating myself, but I will go for it one more time.
There are State and Federal requirements for courthouses.
The Old Robert Mills Courthouse did not meet these requirements, and had not met them for many years.
Unlike other jurisdictions throughout the State, where local officials had periodically renovated their courthouses, backward looking people in Lancaster had successfully blocked each and every attempt to spend money to renovate the Old Robert Mills Courthouse.
Frustrated judges, tired of inadequate security, inadequate space, overflowing toilets, and other problems too numerous to mention, had complained to local officials and to Court Administration for years, and had reached the end of their patience.
Lancaster County was left with two choices.
Construct a new courthouse, meeting all State and Federal requirements or have the courthouse shutdown.
As I have explained previously, shutting down the courthouse would have been financially disastrous for the taxpayers of Lancaster County. Trials would have had to be moved to another County, with all expenses, including lease payments for the use of the other County's facilities, security, and transportation, paid by the taxpayers of Lancaster County.
Renovating the existing Old Robert Mills Courthouse was no longer an option, since the additions and renovations necessary to meet all State and Federal requirements would have cost more than the cost of building a new Courthouse.
You have to understand that the Old Robert Mills Courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places, and any and all renovations have to approved.
The County Council was left with no option but to put the issue of a new courthouse to the voters.
Unfortunately, an arsonist then struck, torching both the courthouse and the solicitor's office within days of each other.
For anyone to suggest that any elected official, appointed official, or employee of local government would advocate the torching of the most historic structure in Lancaster County is absurd, and demonstrates the kind of ignorance and backward thinking that over many years successfully prevented needed renovations to the Old Robert Mills Courthouse.
However, once the arsonist had struck, County Council's options became even more limited. There was no longer a choice as to building a new courthouse. There was only a choice of how to pay for it.
Many people have questioned why Lancaster County does not simply use an existing vacant building. The simple answer is that these building do not meet the State and Federal guidelines.
Others have suggested that Lancaster County continue to hold court in the old Wamsutta store building on the Highway 9 bypass. That also is not an option. First, it does not meet the State and Federal requirements. We are able to use it temporarily because the Chief Justice of the South Carolina State Supreme Court granted Lancaster County a temporary waiver. For your information, she did not have to grant that waiver. Second, the old Wamsutta store lies outside the incorporated area of the City of Lancaster. A courthouse must be located within the incorporated limits of the County seat. Again the Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court granted Lancaster County a temporary waiver. And again, she did not have to grant that waiver.
I hope that this rather long explanation will put an end to the bickering over the construction of the new courthouse. However, I doubt that that will be the case.
There seem to be far too many people who are unable or unwilling to look beyond the end of their noses.
