NC chief justice to tour hurricane-damaged court facilities in Pender County

BURGAW, NC (WWAY) — More than 10 months since Hurricane Florence caused extensive damage in Pender County, the chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court is coming to check out the impact on courts in the county.

Chief Justice Cheri Beasley will visit court personnel and tour the temporary court facilities Monday.

The Pender County Courthouse needed extensive interior repairs, including removal of mold, remediation of lead paint and asbestos mastic, roof and masonry repairs, and windows and wood trim and interior and exterior architectural feature restoration.

Officials say complicating the restoration process is the fact that the courthouse is a national registered historical structure. They say it requires compliance with historical preservation and restoration guidelines to receive FEMA reimbursement for the associated cost.

In May, Assistant Pender County Manager Chad McEwen said the architect on the project estimates court will resume in early 2020.

Court clerks had complained of “sick building syndrome” last spring from conditions in their temporary location.