Town Hall renovations move forward

Published 9:31 am Thursday, June 17, 2010

WINDSOR – Updating and remodeling the Windsor Town Hall is moving forward.

At last week’s meeting of the Windsor Board of Commissioners, Linda Hoggard was given the green light to continue plans to remodel the two story facility and make some decorative changes to make the building more citizen-friendly.

Hoggard is a Windsor citizen with training in planning and design who has been helping the town with the remodeling. She was asked to make the presentation by Windsor Mayor Pro-Tempore Hoyt Cooper who is spearheading the remodeling effort.

“These are some very preliminary sketches that will give you some idea of where we’re headed,” Hoggard said. “I don’t want to get more detailed until I know that I have your approval.”

The major work being planned for the Town Hall includes remodeling the upstairs to move Town Administrator Allen Castelloe’s office to a more suitable position. It currently is in a room that is the only entrance to Mayor Jimmy Hoggard’s office.

Commissioners have insisted they want to have the Town Administrator in his own office and not in a “pass through” room.

The plans by Linda Hoggard would move Castelloe’s office into a portion of what is now a large storage room. It would require three walls to be put upstairs, but would also leave room for storage.

The office currently occupied by Castelloe would then be turned into the map room.

Moving downstairs, Hoggard suggested the placing of commercial tile with some pattern and design to open up the front hallway. There will also be new doors placed on the front of the building and a new awning is slated to be added.

She also suggested adding a small storage room in what is now the commissioner’s meeting room to allow for janitorial and police storage.

As for the front entrance, Hoggard suggested stripping off the paint from the clerk’s window and revealing the oak below.

The commissioners discussed new furnishings for several of the offices, including the meeting room. The current furnishings have been used for more than a decade.

“There’s no doubt we need to do something,” Commissioner Bob Brown said.

Cooper asked if the board would approve Hoggard continuing with the design and getting a cost for the work. The board agreed by consensus.