The Warren County Commission has selected one design they prefer for a new government building, but a few modifications need to be made before a final decision is reached. The commissioners' indecisiveness during a meeting last Thursday with representatives from Treanor Architects P.A. focused on the shape of the roof and the amount of glass located through the building. A lot of their concerns were about the public perception of constructing a "gaudy" building in a more conservative area. "We don't want to get too over the top and still have something that is very nice," Presiding Commissioner Arden Engelage said. Despite the question marks, the commissioners all indicated at last Thursday's meeting that they are leaning toward the cheapest option. Two weeks earlier, the three elected officials narrowed the designs offered by Treanor from four to two. The 39,232-square-foot building was estimated to cost $6,880,495, including land acquisition, site work and other expenses. The two-story facility (with a basement) had a 14,270-square-foot first floor and 10,692-square-foot second floor. The preferred design had only slight changes from two weeks ago, though the size of the structure increased by 1,382 square feet. The new facility will be built on land the county purchased this summer located along South Highway 47 off Mockingbird Lane. All non court-related offices will move to the new structure, expected to be completed next year. The tighter, more compact facility was favored by the commissioners for its accessibility. "It's better access for the people getting to the departments and the flow for the different departments," Northern District Commissioner Dan Hampson said. The commission, though, was unsure about having a curved or flat roof, a cost difference that could be around $35,000 cheaper by selecting the flat feature. The commissioners also voiced their desire to have a square glass tower removed from the drawing. Sharon Schmitz of Treanor said the tower would set the main entrance apart from the rest of the building. Regardless, the commission felt it was an area to save an additional expense. The commissioners and Schmitz agreed an attractive building will be one of the first visible buildings when motorists travel the southern end of Warrenton. "A very good looking building may stimulate the economy in that area," Kluesner said. He also added, "We're trying to do everything we can to make it a very respectable building. All three of us are very aware that this is taxpayers' money." The design that was eliminated in last week's meeting was a 41,080-square-foot, L-shaped facility estimated to cost $7,150,475. Two weeks ago, the commissioners asked Treanor to reduce the size of the 47,000-square-foot original design. By shrinking the size by 5,920 square feet, the estimate cost dropped by $500,273. However, the commission still had concerns about the cost difference between the two final options, the overall appearance and the ability to expand the building. In addition to the designs, preliminary site plans also have been presented by Treanor. The final design selection made by the commissioners last week provided 55 parking spots for visitors at the south end of the building and a lot consisting of 108 spots mainly for employees. When the facility needs to be expanded, there is room for an additional 72 parking spaces.   Now that Treanor can focus on fine-tuning the commission's final selection, meetings will be held soon with county department heads to go over the layout of each office. Schmitz told the commissioners each department head will have a chance to express their preference on how their office is situated. The bidding process for the facility is expected to begin in February. Construction is tentatively scheduled to start in April and should be wrapped up in the fall.