Letters to the Editor – September 21, 2016
New courthouse
It’s good to see that council is discussing the matter of a new courthouse. This is a conversation that has taken too long to bring to the forefront. It is my hope that council will give this matter the due diligence that it deserves in all aspects: planning, cost analysis, present needs, future growth and expansion.
With all of the recent negative publicity over illegal bidding procedures this is an opportunity to clean up and repair any deficiencies that may exist in the interest of fairness, public trust and transparency.
Let’s hope that council approaches this endeavor with foresight and understanding that not only do we need a structure to accommodate present needs but one which will allow expansion either up or out as the county grows.
Please understand that offices such as the treasurer, auditor, tax assessor etc. should have their own facility, as there should not be interaction between the general public and anyone conducting courthouse business. There is available land to have a public administration building for that purpose or an existing structure that can fitted for that purpose.
Council should also factor in the extreme lack of parking in the downtown area at the present and the fact that parking needs will grow exponentially with the increase in downtown activity. Lets avoid the dilemma that our neighbors in Florence are presently facing.
These are real, serious and present needs facing the county and the need to handled them with care cannot be overstated. This could be the jump-start that this county has been lacking and could be the catalyst propelling us to economic prosperity, otherwise we face the possibility of falling further behind our surrounding neighbors.
Darryl K. Stapleton
Darlington, S.C.