Coyote Point raises concern as jail site (by Michelle Durand, Daily Journal)
County officials picking a site for a new jail shouldn't consider Coyote Point because it is prime waterfront property close to schools and recreational areas, according to some community members who gathered last night as the first of three public hearings on the selection process.
Sheriff Greg Munks and Supervisor Adrienne Tissier assured the crowd the selection committee is very early in its process and no decisions or narrow roster of possibilities have been compiled. Tissier conceded Coyote Point will likely end up on a list but said stiff criteria will probably eliminate it as the best logical location for a new jail facility. At this state of the game we can't tell people not to look at certain sites,? Tissier said.
Rather than focus on possible locals and existing community reservations, Munks, Tissier and San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Mark Forcum focused on the overall need and process. Twenty-four sites are currently being considered and public hearings will be held before any final decisions are made, Munks said.
Last night's meeting is one of three scheduled throughout the county to answer basic questions about the need for a new jail and how county authorities hope the facility can provide greater programs and services to prevent recidivism.
Ideally, the county wants one new facility to replace the women's jail on Maple Street in Redwood City. The facility would be medium-security and house both men and women. The current Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City would remain open with maximum security beds and as a booking and release site.
Final decisions about the site's location, size and price tag remain up in the air although figures were penciled out when the county sought funding from the state.
The state recently denied the county's application for up to $100 million in funding toward a new facility a mixed blessing, according to Munks, because the Assembly Bill came with many strings. Instead, the county will turn to traditional financing, like bonds.
Timing remains critical, however, because of rising construction costs. The current $140 million price tag could balloon to $180 million by 2012 if the county doesn't act quickly for the planned five-story building.
The county looked at shipping 200 inmates to Alameda County but the $9 million annual price tag and possibility it may need the beds back were prohibitive.
Building a new facility will actually be cost-effective, Munks said, because staffing an overcrowded building takes more resources.
Jail overcrowding is far from a new issue. For instance, the men's building is rated for 688 inmates and the population has shot as high as 1,050. It currently hovers around 900 and approximately 16 percent are mentally ill.
The push for a jail is not a new issue but took on new life when the supervisors considered buying the former Cemex parcel near the current facility. The land, at 1402-1450 Maple St., is less than 1,000 feet away from the already-approved 800-unit Peninsula Park mixed-use development. The developer reportedly grew incensed at the idea of a new multi-story jail so near and threatened to pull out of the project. The council in turn directed its wrath at the county, accusing officials of jeopardizing its hard-earned redevelopment plans and making decisions without input from either the council or the community. A grassroots group of opponents established http://www.nonewjails.com and continue to push back at the idea of a new or bigger facility in their backyard.
Ultimately, the negotiations fell through and the Cemex site came off the table. The county has since said it was not trying to make deals without public consideration.
Meeting times:
The next public meetings on jail planning are scheduled for 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16 at Central Middle School, 828 Chestnut St., San Carlos; and
Thursday, Oct. 23 at El Camino High School, 1320 Mission Road, South San Francisco.
– Written by Fiona