Mono County, Mammoth Lakes Courthouse

Completion Date: 3rd Qtr 2011
Occupancy Date: September 6, 2011
Gross Square Footage: 20,000
Total Courtrooms: 2
Authorized Project Budget: $20,842,000
Architectural/Engineering Firm: Mark Cavagnero Associates
Construction Manager at Risk: Sundt Construction, Inc.
Fund: Senate Bill 1732
Initial Funding Year: FY 2006–2007
 

Awards and Recognition

Western Council of Construction Consumers: 2012 Distinguished Project Award
Engineering News-Record, California: 2012 Best Government/Public Building Project

Mono County, Mammoth Lakes Courthouse

The County of Mono has two court locations: the historic courthouse in Bridgeport (North County Branch) and the former South County Branch in Mammoth Lakes. Most cases are generated in or near Mammoth Lakes, with relatively little service demand from Bridgeport and the northern part of the county. Findings in the 2003 master plan showed that 90 percent of the court's civil and criminal workload is attributable to the Mammoth Lakes area. The distribution of jury trials is even more uneven, with Bridgeport having fewer than five per year. The Bridgeport Courthouse is used almost exclusively for arraignments because of its adjacency to the county jail. According to the 2000 census figures, the population of Mammoth Lakes is 7,150, but the local area population can increase to nearly 40,000 during peak ski season. According to the court, most of its case filings involve recreational visitors.

The previous South County Branch Courthouse was leased space in a shopping mall that was undersized, in poor condition, and in need of replacement. The new two-courtroom, 20,000-square-foot courthouse replaced the leased space and provides improved security and improved space for access to court services.
The new courthouse occupies 1.8 acres at the intersection of State Road 203 (Main Street) and Sierra Park Road, in an area planned as a new government center in Mammoth Lakes.

History

Feasibility Report 

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Compliance

The Judicial Council of California (JCC) is the lead agency for preparation of an environmental impact report (EIR) to comply with CEQA.

Background
October 4, 2007 to November 2, 2007: Draft Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration circulated.
October 24, 2007: Public meeting held.
December 7, 2007 the JCC filed a Final Mitigated Negative Declaration and Notice of Determination, completing the CEQA process.