Wednesday, August 11, 2010

County seeks retrofit funding

Improvements would make courthouse safer from earthquakes


By KATHERINE WUTZ
Express Staff Writer

The Blaine County Courthouse on the corner of First and Croy in Hailey could be eligible for a grant for remodels to make it safer in the event of an earthquake. The courthouse was built in 1883 and survived the 1983 Borah Peak Earthquake, but structural problems could pose a problem during future quakes. Photo by David N. Seelig

The seismic evaluation report for the Old Blaine County Courthouse in Hailey paints a grim picture.

In the event of an earthquake of 7.0 magnitude or greater, the courthouse roof could collapse and brick could peel from the walls. A large crack where the stairway tower and the main building join suggests the building could pull away from the stairwell, cutting off emergency access.

A severe quake could cause what county director of operations Char Nelson called a "pancake effect," where the floor of the top story collapses into the floor below.

But if Blaine County's request for federal money is approved, these problems could be eliminated or lessened.

Blaine County is currently working on an application for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant, which gives states funding to reduce potential disaster-related life loss and damage. The state bureau of Homeland Security approves the projects before passing them on to FEMA for consideration.

The county applied for and received a FEMA grant for flood mitigation on Deer Creek north of Hailey last year. David Jackson, mitigation program manager for the Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security, said Blaine County likely focused on earthquakes this time because of the sheer scale of potential damage involved.

"Floods and fires can be localized, but earthquakes are more catastrophic," Jackson said. "They are maybe not as frequent, but the consequences are higher."

Nelson said that if approved, the courthouse would be the first building in Idaho to receive funding for seismic mitigation.

Blaine County is near three major active faults, including the Lost River Fault 50 miles northeast of Hailey that caused the 1983 Borah Peak earthquake near Challis. That quake resulted in two deaths and extensive property damage.

Jackson said the grant is nationally competitive, and that all projects go through an extensive benefit-cost analysis before approval.

The county is currently deciding which level of retrofitting to request from the state. Funding is dependant on the scale of the project, which ranges from preserving all lives in the building to ensuring the building will be virtually undamaged after a seismic event.

The latter level would require an extensive retrofit and the installation of a backup emergency dispatch station in the courthouse, Nelson said during a meeting of the county commissioners on Aug. 3.

More funding is available for more extensive projects, up to $3 million, but the county would be expected to contribute a 25 percent of the grant award as a match. Commission Chair Larry Schoen said that while he'd like the county to apply for a higher level of funding, acceptance of the grant would depend on whether the county could afford to meet the matching portion.

"You have to be careful what you wish for, because sometimes it comes with strings that can be costly," Schoen said.

Money for matching funds is not available in this year's budget, but Schoen said the process of applying for the grant is lengthy enough that funds would likely not be needed until next year.

The county may also be able to offer in-kind services, such as staff time, in lieu of capital funding.

The application for the grant requires two evaluations, one geotechnical and one seismic. The first is a study of the land the courthouse sits on and how it would respond to an earthquake. The second, prepared by Boise-based firm McClendon Engineering, is a study of how the building itself would respond to seismic activity. Both studies have already been completed.

The building was constructed in 1883 of unreinforced masonry. The McClendon report states that such buildings have historically "not performed well" in response to seismic activity.

A third study, which would focus on finding solutions to the courthouse's structural issues, is forthcoming, said Nelson. Though the first two studies were funded by the state, the county would be required to pay 50 percent of the cost of the third, a cost that would need to be approved by county commissioners.

Despite structural concerns, Jackson said the building is not in any immediate need of a retrofit, especially as it survived the Borah Peak quake relatively unscathed.

"(The courthouse) has been standing for 120 years," he said. "It's not one of those stay-awake-at-night situations."

Katherine Wutz: kwutz@mtexpress.com




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