Gilmer County Executive Summary

The Gilmer County courthouse was originally constructed in 1929. Additions were made in 1960 and 1962. The exterior walls of stone and brick are set on a foundation of concrete and stone with lance wire. The exterior walls should be cleaned and all water damage repaired. The building has both a flat and a pitched roof. Water is ponding on the flat roof. We recommend replacing the flashing and roof drainage on the flat section and replacing the shingles on the pitched section.

The building has aluminum windows which were replaced in the 1970’s. The windows show signs of leakage. We recommend replacing those leaking windows and replacing the exit doors with alarmed doors that have panic hardware.

We recommend installing a sprinkler system in the building and replacing the fire alarm system with one that has horns, strobes, and heat and smoke detectors. The current stair should be enclosed with fire rated doors and walls. A stair tower should be installed on the back of the building.

The building’s basement has problems caused by water leakage, as well as pest concerns. We recommend installing a French drain system outside the building and applying rubberized water proofing on the basement walls to alleviate seepage and to help control the insect problems. We recommend performing a structural analysis on the building to determine its current condition.

The building needs to be rendered ADA compliant. To this end, we recommend renovating the restrooms to meet ADA requirements, renovating the entrance ramp to meet ADA standards, and installing lever handles and ADA signage throughout the building.

The building has a lack of security. We recommend installing a secure entrance point with a walk through metal detector and an X-ray screener, installing a security console, closed circuit television system, and duress alarms in appropriate locations, and installing ballistic material on the judge’s bench on all sides with public exposure.

The electrical system for the building appears to be adequate. We recommend installing additional lighting in the hallways and keyed light switches and locked electrical panels where appropriate. The boiler will need replaced soon. We recommend installing a new boiler and a central HVAC system for the courthouse.

The annex building has a magistrate court one the first floor. The second floor is used by the Board of Education. The building is in generally good condition. We recommend replacing the roof and flashing, replacing the windows with broken seals, installing a sprinkler system, and a smoke detection system with horns and strobes.

Security concerns in the annex building should be addressed similar to the system mentioned above, including entry-level screening, Closed Circuit TV system, duress alarms, and ballistic protection for the judge’s bench. The restroom of the annex building needs to be updated to be ADA compliant.

The jail is no longer being used to house prisoners. We recommend that the building be renovate for office and storage space. Any building concerns should be attended to during the renovation, including, but not limited to, roof repairs, installation of a sprinkler system, new HVAC system, etc.

The courthouse is in need of extra storage space. We recommend adding 5,000 square feet of office and storage space as needed.

Total cost for renovations/upgrades is approximately $ 2,821,140.

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