Background
The Superior Court of California, County of Tehama had six separate facilities. These facilities poorly served the growing needs of the superior court, and the lack of consolidated facilities exacerbated the functional problems of the buildings. All case types, including felonies, misdemeanors, juvenile law, limited and unlimited civil, traffic and small claims, were heard in Red Bluff and Corning.
The main courthouse was the historic Tehama Courthouse, which was constructed in 1920. This courthouse had one courtroom for civil and family cases, court administration offices, and jury services. The historic Tehama Courthouse was also occupied by several county agencies. This facility had significant security problems, severe accessibility deficiencies, was very overcrowded, and had many physical problems, making court services unsafe and inefficient.
The new project provides for a new five-courtroom building replacing all court facilities in Tehama County except the courtroom at the Juvenile Justice Center. It consolidates the four courtrooms in Red Bluff and the one in Corning.
In late 2011, the State Public Works Board approved a site for the new courthouse, approximately 4.4 acres between Walnut Street and Hook Road, in a 26-acre parcel owned by Tehama County, with the state acquiring the property from the county for $1.2 million plus relocation costs. Buildings on the property were demolished at the start of construction.
CEQA
The Judicial Council has complied with CEQA by filing a categorical exemption for this project's site on February 3, 2011.
