The matter will next go in front of the City Commission for final approval.
Member Greg Rogers, who voted yes after sharing concerns and asking several questions, said he wanted to ensure the Board of Zoning Appeals enforces the CEDA Board’s concerns.
“I’d like to be on record requesting the BZA does make the county and the applicant look further into the cost of this project if the soil and if that stormwater drainage becomes a real issue there,” Rogers said. “The BZA has authority to enforce certain parameters there, then of course the line of site and the visual impact of that.”
Funding for the proposed 454-bed jail was in part supposed to come from a 20-year, 0.5% sales tax increase, but voters rejected it by 78%, according to final, unofficial results from the Clark County Board of Elections.
Clark County’s current sales tax is 7.25%, which includes the state sales tax of 5.75% and the county sales tax of 1.5%. This ballot measure would have increased the sales tax to 7.75%.
The levy could go in front of voters again.
A new facility is estimated to cost $100 to $120 million, Clark County Sheriff Chris Clark said. This includes 20-25% in “soft costs,” which is the planning and permitting process.
Springfield Twp. trustees were not consulted in the location, Trustee Tim Foley said in a statement provided to the News-Sun.
“Personally, I would rather see the proposed location for the public safety complex be on blighted areas within the city that could benefit from new development and new construction,” Foley said.
CEDA Board members Rogers and Bob Mako, who was the sole no vote, brought up nearby resident concerns, including the proximity to houses and increased traffic. A traffic study would need to be performed before the jail opened, City Planner Vaidehe Agwan said.
“Right now you deal with the administration in the jail and how things work internally; you haven’t had to work with the neighbor in the neighborhood,” Mako said. “Your neighbor is really the police station and a lot of civic structures here. Where you’re proposing to put this jail, you’re out in the community, and you’re going to have to be a good neighbor.”
Credit: Jessica Orozco
Credit: Jessica Orozco
Mako brought up lighting concerns, to which Agwan said the jail would have to comply with zoning requirements requiring lighting to be downcast and free from glare onto neighboring residences.
Clark encouraged people to view other jails like the new one opening soon in Greene County, saying that the facilities appear different than expected, with outdoor lighting like that in a typical parking lot and the building more of an office appearance than penitentiary.
“Yeah, there is a jail that’s going in here, but it’s not just a jail that’s going out there,’ Clark said. ”The entire Clark County Sheriff’s Office is going to be housed there. ... A lot of people, I think, are focusing on the jail portion of it, but they’re forgetting the fact that along with that comes good quality police protection focused on that area.”
Planning for the specific property is still in the very early stages, but Clark said he engaged immediately with residents as soon as possible, sending letters to all neighbors the property touches.
CEDA Board member Sunny Dhingra said he’s already convinced of the need for a new jail but other Clark County residents need convincing, too.
“I think that the only way you’re going to get that sales tax passed is if it is something that has a comprehensive plan rather than a jail bill, because that’s what the public perceives it as today,” Dhingra said. “A prevention and early intervention is always the best solution.”
Clark agreed but said the county is “past the prevention, early intervention stage,” and while they should prioritize that, the jail needs serious help. He said if the county opened a 300-bed jail today, it would be filled by the end of the month.
The current jail — housed in the public safety building downtown along with offices of the Springfield Police Division and Clark County Sheriff’s Office — is too small and noncompliant with multiple state standards.
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