By Joe Robertson and Sylvia A. Bolls
The Baltimore County Council Monday approved spending $20,000 to upgrade security doors to nonpublic areas of the Circuit Court building on Bosley Avenue.
Under the plan, the new doors will be accessible only with employee badges.
The Baltimore County Circuit Court building was built in 1970 and is the only court in the county with the authority to hold jury trials. It hears major civil, family law and criminal cases.
“I don’t think 50 years ago they had this kind of concern,” said District-2 Councilwoman Vicki Almond. “But this is the world we live in.”
Although Almond is not aware of any threats made at the courthouse, she said the upgrade is a safety precaution given the amount of foot traffic and the kinds of cases heard in the building.
A grant for the $20,000 project would come from the Gifts and Grants Special Revenue Fund, which allocates money to spend before the end of the fiscal year on June 30th.
In other action, the council unanimously adopted a bill that will place two historic structures on the county’s landmark preservation list.
The first landmark is the Onion-Rawl House at 11314 Reynolds Road in Bradshaw. The property, which was nominated by the current owners, dates to the 18th century and was the home of the British ironmaster Stephen Onion.
The second historical landmark is the Almond Confectionary Store located at 201 Main St. in Turner Station in Dundalk. The property was nominated by a third party on behalf of the owners.