Madison residents got their last chance Monday to view the schematics of the proposed Dane County Courthouse and provide input to the county on the project before the plan enters into the lengthy process of city approval.
The Dane County Justice Center Committee held a public forum at the City County Building, 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Monday night. City officials took questions concerning the $33 million, 216,000 square foot triangular complex, to be located next to the current Public Safety Building, 115 W. Doty St. The building should hold 20 courtrooms.
Robert J. Nebel, the Dane County construction manager for the project, said the design has evolved through the public hearing process.
\This is the third neighborhood meeting we had and the models incorporate a lot of what the neighborhood said,"" he said.
The overall color of the facility, a light tan and brown, received comments by citizens, who voiced complaints over how light in tone the building looked in the renderings.
""My concern is that the building materials need to fit in with the surrounding architecture,"" said Rosemary Lee, a Madison resident.
The project will also overtake a large parcel of public green space, which, according to Jean Borman, may never be replaced.
""I think there's a value we should have for the massive green space we have now,"" she said.
The project, which still requires the acquisition of state Sen. Fred Risser's, D-Madison, law office building at 140 W. Wilson St. to be complete, will go before Madison's Urban Planning Commission on Feb. 13.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said he doesn't foresee the project stalling in its passage through the city process.
""It's something we all can be proud of,"" he said. ""It's the right site and the right design.\
