LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors heard an update on the plans to convert the former Lakeport Armory into the new Lake County Sheriff’s Office headquarters and approved the remodel’s plans.

Public Services Director Lars Ewing, along with Undersheriff and Sheriff-elect Luke Bingham, presented the update during the board’s Tuesday morning meeting.

The county obtained the armory, located on seven acres at 1431 Hoyt Ave., in a land swap with the state that was completed in January of 2022.

The state gave the county the armory in exchange for a vacant 15.5-acre property at 15837 18th Ave. in Clearlake which is to be used for an affordable housing development.

On Tuesday, Patty Esposito and Jimmy Ng, architect with Dewberry, the firm hired to work on designing the project, explained aspects of it.

Esposito said that on May 2, 2023, Dewberry had a kickoff meeting with county rep and sheriff’s stakeholders to look at what the project needed to succeed.

The facility is expected to be in use up to 40 years, and will need a flexible work space to accommodate staff growth over time. The goal is to have professional and inviting spaces, with natural light and durable and timeless fixtures and finishes, all while being budget conscious, Esposito said.

She said the existing building footprint is not large enough to accommodate all departments, so the emergency operations center will remain in its current location with plans to expand at a future date.

Esposito said they added a second floor to an existing large opening that is available, which can be used for training and large events, and will be available for future growth.

Ng said the project will include repaving and restriping to address Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. There also will be a new elevator to reach the second floor.

The floorplan includes space for the agency’s many departments: the civil bureau, records, finance, criminal investigations, evidence processing and storage, a fitness room and locker rooms, enforcement and patrol departments, briefing rooms and a booking station. The second floor will have room for meetings, training and office space.

Ewing said the cost estimate for construction is $16.7 million, which includes a $1 million contingency with solar power also factored in.

The cost with furnishings, fixtures and equipment, and audio visual equipment is expected to bring the total cost to $20 million, Ewing said.

He explained that the second story will not go above the existing roof and is a mezzanine within the existing armory bay. “We needed the space for expansion.”

Leaving out the mezzanine as a shell and keeping it for future buildout is cost effective and saves $1.5 million, Ewing said.

Bingham said that if that second story is needed in 10 or 15 years, building it then would upend the sheriff's operations. Having it included now in its basic form would mean less disruption.

He said the intention is to have training classes there and to make it available to county staff in other departments.

Board Chair Bruno Sabatier asked about the current square footage in the sheriff’s office headquarters on Martin Street.

Bingham estimated that the current space is between 16,000 to 17,000 square feet, with the armory facility to be a little over 26,000 square feet with the second story.

Sabatier questioned waiting to build out the second floor. “We can only anticipate that that cost will increase as time goes on.”

He also raised issues about landscaping and having vegetation too close to the buildings. Ewing said the final plans would have to be approved by the fire marshal and Lakeport Fire Protection District.

Ewing reported that the federal American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funding needed to complete the project needs to be dedicated by the end of this year.

Supervisor Jessica Pyska moved to approve the plans and specifications, which Supervisor Moke Simon seconded. The board’s vote was unanimous.

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