SANTEE–The new Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk East County Branch Office and Archive in Santee formally celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday.
The new 25,000-square-foot building features a first for the County – County Archives. Historic documents dating back 170 years now have a dedicated space of their own. Some 4,400 cubic feet of archival records and microfilm moved from offsite storage to a repository with its own generator, heating and air conditioning system, state of the art fire suppression system and secure access.
“Documents include maps, deeds, historic birth, marriage and death certificates, and other official records dating back to 1850,” said Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk Ernest J. Dronenburg, Jr. “The archives will offer county residents and other users the opportunity to conduct research and view publicly available documents, either electronically or by appointment, based on their physical condition.”
The county’s first-ever archivist will manage the repository and help the public gain access to the historic documents.
The site of the one-story structure features 125 parking spaces under solar panel canopies, an outdoor wedding arbor and indoor marriage room. The County’s Treasurer/Tax Collector’s office will also offer limited services.
The County Archive is the first zero net energy archive in the nation and the County’s sixth zero net energy facility, meaning all the energy needed to run the building will be produced onsite. The overall facility was also built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold standards.
