FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners will consider hiring an appraiser on Tuesday, Feb. 2, to determine the value of the Church Street Commons building.

Commissioners and others reviewed an estimated $2 million project that would include buying that building and renovating it to house several county services, and renovating some space at the county courthouse and sheriff’s department.

Any final proposed plan would need to go to at least three public hearings before a referendum vote, possibly in June, could be held, consultant John Cleveland said.

Building a new public safety building was not included in the newest concept planning version, No. 8.

The new option would significantly lower the price to taxpayers, according to information presented. The overall project including a new building was estimated on Jan. 19 to be about $5 million.

The Church Street Commons building is located on one-way Church Street, across from the county courthouse. The new proposal could be a way to alleviate concerns over space, environmental and safety issues in county buildings.

Commissioners, along with members of the county Building Committee, architect Noel Smith and Cleveland, toured the Commons’ three floors and annex Tuesday.

The proposal would put registries of deeds and probate on the first and second floor of the main building. One department would take the first floor and the other, the second floor. Some renovations would be planned to expand space.

Emergency dispatch communications would be on the lower level, and the Emergency Management Agency would be located in the annex, which is also on the first floor.

If that happened, then the District Attorney’s Office could be moved up to the first floor of the courthouse, and out of the lower level. It would also allow the Sheriff’s Department to spread out into the space where dispatchers currently are housed.

Renovations at the Commons would include adding more windows to let in natural light on the lower level, with the windows having bullet-proof glass for security purposes.

There would also be an elevator installed to go to all three floors.

Cleveland suggested that if the referendum is held in June and passes, then renovations could be done over the winter at the Commons and it could be ready to be moved into during the spring or summer of 2011.

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Franklin County commissioners and the county Building Committee toured Church Street Commons in Farmington to see what the space looked like if the county determines it wants to buy it to move some services to the location, across from the county courthouse. Here, consultant John Cleveland, left, Franklin County Dispatch Supervisor Melinda Caton, Building Committee member, Steve Bunker and architect Noel Smith are shown the lower-level of the Commons where county dispatch services could be housed.