A proposed plan by the Denton County Commissioners Court would create an island on the new administrative complex off of Loop 288 that would house the existing fire memorial and a future police memorial.

Tuesday, Precinct 4 County Commis­sioner Andy Eads brought the idea before the court and representatives of HDR Architecture Inc., which is designing the complex, but Eads warned that the plan is still in the development phase.

“It would be a logical place for it,” Eads said. “But it isn’t carved in stone. It would be a good place for it.”

Dubbed “Memorial Island,” Eads said the plan would increase the visibility of the memorials, link them together and incorporate them with the new complex, which is set to be completed in 2009.

“It would be a win-win situation for them [police and fire departments] and for the county,” Eads said.

Eads has already spoken to the fire department about the plan. The fire association unanimously approved the plan this month. Eads expects to bring the same proposal to the police department in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, however, HDR Archi­tecture Inc. and county officials are still trying to figure out how to remain under budget for Phase I of the administrative complex, which would include a pond and the island.

For close to an hour Tuesday, commissioners mulled over what option they should take for the Phase I of the administrative complex on Loop 288 before deferring their decision to 2008.

The court was attempting to decide whether they wanted the Phase I building, which would house the county’s health department, Child Protective Services, and Women, Infants and Children offices, to be a one-story or a two-story structure.

If the county picked the two-story option, the project would be over budget by nearly $200,000, and it would also use up the $1.9 million contingency money built into the estimated cost.

Because of the higher price tag, the county would either have to divert money from another project, which would cause it to be either canceled or delayed, or decide on a single story.

Wednesday, County Judge Mary Horn said she wasn’t willing to do either unless she had to.

“There are other capital improvement projects that need to be addressed,” Horn said Wednesday. “I don’t really want to take any of them off the list. This is where it gets tough.”

Horn suggested Wednesday that the pond, which would separate the Phase I building and the Commissioner Court’s new facility, be postponed until later in the development. However, because of city regulations, the county would still have to create some kind of drainage.

“I am still waiting to see if that is possible,” Horn said.

Throughout the week, commissioners appeared to be leaning toward the two-story structure, but they were still working to figure out the finances. Horn said it was imperative to create a two-story build to allow for future expansion.

Eads shared the same belief.

“It is a better use of the land,” he said. “It is just a matter of giving them [county staff] enough time to find the money.”

DAN X. McGRAW can be reached at 940-566-6875. His email address is dmcgraw@dentonrc.com .