Noise prompts need for $400K window project at courthouse

With large-scale construction projects near the Pitkin County Courthouse slated for 2015, the current windows on the venerable building have to be replaced due to noise issues that could disrupt court proceedings.

Jodi Smith, county facilities project manager, went before Pitkin County commissioners on Tuesday morning looking for support in a request for $150,000 in supplemental funding toward window replacement for sound-proofing purposes. That number is on top of $150,000 already budgeted for 2015 for the same project.

Smith said that an estimate of the total cost of the project from consultants was in the $400,000s, but she added that the bidding process hasnt started yet.

Over the past decade, the noise in the courthouse has been a problem, Smith said. The technology has changed a lot over the years and we now record everything.

She said that ambient sound has become a major distraction during court cases.

Lawnmowers, leaf blowers, the sirens from police vehicles, all disturb the courts, Smith said. Theres a lot of background noise in the courts, and because of the construction thats happening at the library that is scheduled to start in February or March, that triggered us to really look at what we need to do with the courthouse windows.

She said that all 152 windows in the building need to be replaced, but that the 2014 supplemental request is focused on the first 60 nearest the library construction and that the work has to be completed by Feb. 1. The first $150,000 would cover permits, design work and this first phase of window replacement.

Were projecting that it could be over $300,000 for the 2014-2015 projects, she said. [Thats for] the backside and the east and west side. It doesnt include the front. If we have enough money well do the front, if not, well leave it as is.

Smith added that a consultant also suggested putting some sort of covering over the new windows, to further mitigate the sound of jackhammers and other construction.

She said that planned work on the Galena Plaza including a nearby sewer line replacement will also cause noise issues in 2015, and that the construction projects can be shut down if they are interfering with court cases.

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Noise prompts need for $400K window project at courthouse