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Renovation Closure: Setting the Record Straight |
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Written by Don Chaddock
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Melanie Barton, the Placer County Museums Director, said the rumors surrounding the temporary closure of Historic Courthouse in Old Town Auburn are all wrong. The upper floors of the courthouse are scheduled to be closed for up to three months for renovation work, but the first floor, housing the museum and the visitors center, will remain open.
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Courts to return to historic facility during finishing work
While rumors persist that the Courthouse in Old Town Auburn will be shut down for six months beginning in August, one county official is trying to dispel those myths.
“While it’s been reported the total work on the building could take up to six months, the courts will only be closed for 30 to 90 days,” said Placer County Museums Department Director Melanie Barton.
She said she has met with the state and county regarding the temporary closure of the courts while the historic building goes through renovations and all agree that the courts are expected to return in one to three months.
“Renovation of the second, third and fourth floors will start Aug. 1 and take 30 to 90 days, which is far shorter than people imagine,” she said. Work on the dome will begin July 1, with scaffolding to be constructed on the back side.
Barton assures residents and businesses located in the Old Town district that the museum and visitor center, located on the first floor, will remain open during the work.
“We’ll be conducting business as usual and doing events to encourage people to come to the courthouse,” she said.
One of those events is The Heritage Trail Placer County Museums Tour, to be held on the weekend of Aug. 9 and 10.
“It’s a countywide event to promote local history. There will be 18 museums participating from Roseville to Tahoe. Admission will be free for those two days and the event is open to the public,” she said. “We’ll have special activities, including something for children.”
Barton said the persistent rumors that the courthouse would be closed for six months helped spark the timing of the event.
“While it is a countywide event, I wanted to show that the courthouse was still open,” she said.
Barton believes the confusion stems from the two renovation projects planned for the courthouse. One is the remodeling of the upstairs offices and court spaces. The other is the repair of the dome.
“The dome, which is having some major work done on it, is a longer project (but) that work can continue with the courts in session,” she said.
Another project is the repaving and redesign for the front parking lot on Lincoln Way and Maple Street.
“It will be done shortly after the Heritage Trail event (in August),” she said. “Signs will direct traffic flow to other parking areas. That will take a minimum of a month.”
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Thanks Lot...........
For Museums Tour, to be held on the weekend of Aug. 9 and 10.
Definitely my children get excited by seeing the special activities.
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loysten,
Addiction Recovery California