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Harris County Commissioners Approve Precinct 4 Safety Door as Judge Hidalgo Walks Out

County safety officials deemed a doorway through the judge’s storage area the most efficient way to add a second exit for Precinct Four.

Overview

  • Commissioners voted unanimously to remove part of a wall and add a doorway connecting Precinct Four to space adjacent to the county judge’s office.
  • Judge Lina Hidalgo moved the discussion from a planned closed session to open court, urged a committee vote, then exited before the decision.
  • Former Houston fire chief Samuel Peña with county engineering and the county fire marshal said a 2025 inspection flagged the single-door layout as a major safety risk and recommended the added egress.
  • Hidalgo objected that the plan would displace her communications staff and intensify crowding already worsened by asbestos remediation.
  • Officials will finalize design and costs next, with construction expected to take about a month once scheduled.