Elevator considered for LEC

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
The Board of Weston County Commissioners is working with Upton-based White Construction to develop a plan to replace the outside ramp at the Weston County Law Enforcement Center with an elevator. An elevator was first discussed in December of last year. 
Talk of replacing the ramp, the main entrance to the building, began in 2019 when Commissioner Tony Barton reported that Structural Dynamics had recommended that the ramp replacement be completed before the 2019-20 winter season. In August of that year,  the  commissioners voted to begin the bid process for installing a heated concrete ramp at the law enforcement center, a project that had an estimated cost of $250,000. 
Less than a month later, on Sept. 16, the county received a letter from Structural Dynamics that provided reasons why the county should postpone the bid process, despite the fact that their earlier letter stated that the ramp and stairs were “unsafe.” 
Since 2019, the ramp and stairs have been discussed on several occasions, although the commissioners have yet to take action to fix the structural issues. Then, the board met with Nick White of White Construction on Nov. 23 at their regular meeting. 
After a brief discussion with White, the commissioners approved a motion to have the construction company engage an engineer to prepare a completed design for an elevator to replace the ramp. 
According to White, the estimated cost of the project is  $300,000, which  includes the installation of the elevator, the actual elevator, demolition of the ramp and repairs to the ramp area. He told the commissioners that the build is “simple” and that the hardest part of the project will be what to do with the space currently occupied by the ramp that will be removed. 
While an official design was not presented to the board, White explained that the elevator would have an entrance under the current ramp with an exterior door and call button. He noted that this would allow controlled access. 
“We would build a room inside the garage and come up through the floor. The exit would be towards the glass into the lobby,” White said, noting that it would be a two-door elevator with a pass-through. 
In addition to the elevator, White said, the stairs used at the main entrance would need to be repaired and the ramp would need to be removed. 
“We would have to build a temporary ramp for egress for repairs, but the benefit to the elevator… We would use the ramp and stairs until then and tear the ramp out at a later date,” White said. 
Another benefit, according to White, is that elevators, as long as they are maintained, have a long lifespan, while another outdoor concrete ramp may not. As previously reported, a new heated concrete ramp had an estimated cost of $250,000, compared with an estimated $300,000 for the elevator. 
The commissioners had also previously discussed the installation of a metal ramp similar to the one leading to the Newcastle City Council Chambers. According to City Clerk-Treasurer Greg James, maintenance and upkeep on the ramp are minimal but he was unable to provide a price for original installation. 
White Construction will engage an engineer for no more than $10,000 to create the design for the elevator installation and ramp removal to be presented to the board at a future date.