A $3 million renovation of the Essex County courthouse is on pause after an inspection determined municipal water pressure wasn’t strong enough to support the fire suppression system, according to judiciary officials.
The expansion of the more than 150-year-old courthouse in the state’s least populated county was supposed to begin earlier this year. The renovations include adding a secure holding cell and building a “connector” between the courthouse and a meeting hall next door, which would be used for jury draws and deliberations, said Teri Corsones, the state court administrator.
An inspection of two fire hydrants near the courthouse in Guildhall determined that the water pressure running through the sprinkler system was below state standards, the report by an engineer consultant said.
The state judiciary is drawing up plans and cost estimates for installing a water tank next to the courthouse that could be used in the event of a fire, Corsones said in a recent interview.
“We couldn't start a renovation … that requires a sprinkler system, unless we can support the sprinkler system,” Corsones said.
The courthouse will remain open in the meantime.
The judiciary is planning to ask the legislature for the money to add the tank, Corsones said. Lawmakers previously approved funds for the $3 million project.
The town of Guildhall, with a population just over 250, gets its water from a nearby New Hampshire town. The Guildhall Select Board got an update about the water pressure issue at a recent meeting, but didn’t take any action on addressing it, according to meeting minutes.
The select board and the Guildhall town manager did not respond to a request for comment.
The courthouse renovations were slated to begin this summer. Ahead of the planned work, the Essex County assistant judges took away office space in the building from a probate judge and the county’s public defender, according to VTDigger.
In fiscal year 2025, there were 235 criminal cases filed in Essex County, according to the judiciary.
