Project Info
The new courthouse project is authorized for 15 courtrooms for a total of 167,147 building gross square feet (BGSF) in the City of Santa Rosa. This new facility will replace the existing space in the Sonoma County Hall of Justice, in the attached Old Jail building, and in the attached Main Adult Detention Facility (MADF) at the county administrative complex. This high-rise project of six stories above ground and a basement level will replace the existing deficient courthouse and create operational efficiencies and on-going savings through consolidation of current court services with mediation services. It will provide centralized criminal, traffic, and juvenile dependency proceedings for the entire county. Project scope includes surface parking for 450 cars plus 20 enclosed secure parking spaces.
Background
The Superior Court of California, County of Sonoma provides services through its main facility, the Sonoma County Hall of Justice. This large, two-story building was constructed in 1965. It contains 15 courtrooms for criminal, traffic, juvenile dependency, probate, and family law proceedings, and is shared with several county agencies. Two courtrooms are located in the attached current jail or Main Adult Detention Facility, and the superior court's self-help center is located in the attached "Old Jail" building. These overcrowded facilities have significant security problems, numerous accessibility deficiencies, and many physical problems, thus preventing the superior court from providing safe and efficient court proceedings and services.
The new criminal courthouse will replace these facilities as well as court-occupied space in the Family Court Services leased facility. The proposed project will provide a modern, secure facility of 15 courtrooms and approximately 167,147 square feet. It will consolidate in one location all criminal, traffic, juvenile dependency, and probate proceedings as well as family court mediation and probate investigative services and enhanced drug court support. It will also include features and services that the court was previously unable to provide due to space restrictions, such as appropriately sized jury assembly and deliberation rooms, adequately sized in-custody holding, attorney interview/witness waiting rooms, a children's waiting room, and security entrance screening of all court users.
The project will enable the court to operate more efficiently and will reduce costs through elimination of a leased facility. The new courthouse will be located in the Sonoma County Administration Center campus, north of downtown Santa Rosa. The site is just east of the Hall of Justice, on a cleared site where the Old Jail facility was previously located. Site acquisition was completed in mid-2012.
CEQA
The Judicial Council is the lead agency for preparation of an environmental report to comply with CEQA.
May 25, 2011, to June 24, 2011: Draft Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration circulated. The draft study evaluated the potential environmental impacts of the proposed project and recommended mitigation measures.
June 16, 2011: Public meeting held.
In response to public comments, the Judicial Council staff completed a Final Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration.
On July 27, 2011, the Judicial Council staff filed a Notice of Determination, thereby completing the CEQA process.
Schedule
This project is currently in the Construction phase.
Construction began in June 2021 and is estimated to complete in May 2025.
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