State courts office names four Shasta County representatives to courthouse site group

California's Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), in collaboration with the Shasta Superior Court, has named the following individuals to the Shasta New Redding Courthouse Project Advisory Group:

Steve Baker, presiding judge of the Shasta County Superior Court, Melissa Fowler-Bradley, court executive officer for the county, Pat Minturn, the county’s director of public works, and Redding attorney John S. Kenny, a senior partner in the law firm of Kenny, Snowden and Norine, were appointed as local representatives.

Rounding out the advisory group’s roster from the state are Mike Smith, project manager for the Judicial Council’s design and construction unit, Robert Uvalle, manager of the same unit, Lee Willoughby, director of the state’s Administrative Office of the Courts.

Also joining the team is Sean D. Watts, retired chief of the California Highway Patrol.

The Project Advisory Group provides advice and input to the project team, primarily during site selection and design. Currently, the AOC and the Project Advisory Group are reviewing eight potential sites, including locations in Redding and Anderson.

The potential sites include properties held by both private and public owners, said Philip Carrizosa, the state agency’s media representative.

When asked whether the group’s name revealed its bias for a Redding site, Carrizosa replied, “I think the Anderson site is considered to be an alternative site.”

Asked more directly whether that meant that Anderson’s proposed courthouse site was out of the running, Carrizosa said, “No. I don’t think so.”

Short-listed sites will be ranked according to site selection criteria selected by the project team in terms of basic site conditions, ownership and control, physical elements, and utility infrastructure, as well cost-effectiveness in meeting the Court’s current and future needs, he said.

“The AOC performs significant due diligence to ensure site suitability,” Carrizosa said.

Due diligence activities include title review, environmental impact and hazardous chemical assessments, appraisals, surveys, and site test fits.

The AOC will ultimately select preferred and alternate potential sites to be approved by the State Public Works Board.

Following that approval, the AOC will conduct environmental work in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act. The public will be invited to review and comment on the draft environmental report.

The AOC is also in the process of selecting an architectural and engineering firm for the project.

Final selection of the architectural firm will be announced in late October, Carrizosa said