Alternative court plan proposed

David Hulse
Posted 8/21/12

MILFORD, PA — One of the critics of Pike’s plans for an addition to the county courthouse last week offered to submit an alternative.

Concerned Pike Taxpayers spokesman Matthew Ebert, who …

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Alternative court plan proposed

Posted

MILFORD, PA — One of the critics of Pike’s plans for an addition to the county courthouse last week offered to submit an alternative.

Concerned Pike Taxpayers spokesman Matthew Ebert, who has in the past been especially critical of the county’s engineering firm, McGoey Hauser & Edsall, offered his alternative on April 3.

Ebert, who claims past engineering experience with several software and computer companies, said that he has created two alternative plans to the county’s plan. His would match the Queen Anne style of the Kenworthy Building as opposed to the existing Greek Revival plan. He said that both use the same footprint, cost less per square foot and realize $1.7 million in savings.

He did not detail how his plan would impact the Kenworthy Building, which has been the crux of the preservation argument against the expansion to date.

Ebett said he has consulted closely with other historic preservation architects in creating his plan.

The commissioners were split in their response.

Karl Wagner said the county’s plan was going to the borough’s architectural review board “very shortly,” and that is where Ebert should take his plan. “They make the final decision,” he said.

However, Commissioners Chair Rich Caridi wanted to know where he could see Ebert’s plans. “It’s incumbent on us to look at it.”

Separately, Caridi reported that there has been no action on the ballot question suggested last month. He said he doesn’t favor the action. “I’d rather not see the community divided again, like it was with the library tax. I can’t stop it, but I’d rather see us working together,” he said.

In other business

The commissioners approved a resolution, similar to recent Wayne and Sussex, NJ counties’ actions, calling for increased Delaware River flood mitigation by reducing maximum storage levels in New York City’s upstream reservoirs.

They reappointed Bill Kerstetter and Peter Wulfhorst to the Northeastern PA Alliance.

They adopted proclamations naming April as Autism Awareness Month and as Sexual Assault Awareness Month; and separately the week of April 6 to 12 as Crime Victims Week.

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