New traffic court breaks ground
By Art Peterson Staff Writer Posted October 02, 2004
ROUND LAKE BEACH — More than 60 public officials and representatives of police departments from northern Lake County braved a clouding sky and winds strong enough to rock the dais Friday at a groundbreaking ceremony for the new North Branch Traffic Court of the 19th Judicial Circuit.
Court, county and village officials praised the building plans and, with nine commemorative golden shovels, overturned the first digs of dry dirt on the 4.5-acre site, located on Nicole Lae in Round Lake Beach, west of Route 83 and north of Rollins Road.
The $2 million project is scheduled for completion in spring 2005. The 9,080-square-foot facility will include one courtroom, with seating for 150, a multipurpose room for 50, and a circuit clerk office. Expansion plans provide for a second courtroom in the future.
The new court will replace the current leased facility in Grayslake, at routes 45 and 120.
Chief Judge Margaret Mullen, fighting the wind to get her voice through a microphone, expressed gratitude to prior chief judges Henry Tonigan and Jane Waller for initiating and moving the project along, and for County Board members and Round Lake Beach officials for building the facility "where we needed it."
The facility will handle approximately one-third of the 97,000 traffic cases which flow through Lake County Circuit Court each year, she said.
The new facility will provide "better access to justice" for residents, said County Board Chairman Suzi Schmidt, "and be helpful to police departments, whose officers won't spend time sitting in traffic. They will be much closer."
The building "will be gorgeous and a huge asset to Round Lake Beach and to all of west Lake County," she added.
Audrey Nixon, chairman of the Law and Judicial Committee, said the project continues the County Board's "long-standing commitment to providing a legal system that is accessible to residents. This is the perfect site." The current facility in Grayslake, Nixon said, "can no longer accommodate the high volume of cases."
County Board member Robert Powers of Round Lake Beach said site selection was based on a study by the Lake County Division of Transportation, which determined a central location "within a 25-minute or less" drive for the area served by the court.
Circuit Court Clerk Sally Coffelt said "no one will appreciate this court more than me and my staff. It will be a phenomenal facility and we're thrilled." She promised to "make sure" that construction stays on schedule.
Round Lake Beach Trustee Larry Mount said "it's been an honor to partner with the county." He laughingly warned "watch out for Suzi Schmidt "wheelie-ing" a bulldozer" on the site.
North Branch Court serves Antioch, Beach Park, the College of Lake County, the Lake County Forest Preserve District, Fox Lake, the Fox Waterway Agency, Grayslake, Hainesville, the Illinois Commerce Commission, Lakemoor, Lake Villa, the Lake County sheriff, Lindenhurst, Mettawa, Rabies Control, the Round Lake villages and park district, and the VA Hospital.
Earlier this year, the new South Branch Traffic Court facility opened in Mundelein.
Back to top of page - -
Print this page
|
