Master plan to be developed for county farm site

On Tuesday, Sept. 6, the Ellis County Commissioners Court unanimously approved the development of a master plan for the county farm site with design firm HOK for $99,772.

The county farm, located off of Farm-to-Market 878 just east of U.S. Highway 287 Bypass, Waxahachie, has the acreage to hold multiple facilities such as a shooting range and outdoor training services for the sheriff’s office, records storage, multiple juvenile facilities and others. Developing a site plan will allow the county to look at the best way to house all the possibilities.

County Judge Todd Little said this is a part of the county’s 30-year plan, and they want to have a developed master plan before they spend money on construction on the site. Little emphasized they do not want to place one of the facilities in the wrong location, citing the shooting range as an example.

“These are for future potential sites that all may or may not be at that location, but certainly would set a footprint for future things,” commissioner Lane Grayson said. “I don’t like the price tag, but I seldom do,” commissioner Paul Perry said. “At the same time, I think it’s probably wise to measure three times and cut once on this, and I would like to have HOK’s assistance.”

Potential facilities on the site could include:

• Shooting range and sheriff’s office outdoor training services

• Elections office and records storage

• Adult probation offices

• Sheriff facilities for seized property, animal barn and maintenance barn

• Juvenile center with JJAEP, juvenile probation and juvenile housing

• Law enforcement center for sheriff’s headquarters, investigations, patrol, evidence storage, quartermaster, fire marshal and emergency response administration

• County jail administration and housing, jail support spaces

• Future criminal court facilities

Once a master plan is developed for the county farm site, it will be presented to the commissioners court to receive input and determine the next step. Originally published September 7, 2022 - https://www.waxahachiesun.com/business/master-plan-to-be-developed-for-county-farm-site/article_c4050440-2ef2-11ed-a3a2-9371e39dec05.html