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Show ?ky -. 4 X -7'' 4T.v ' Famiiiiigtoii residents says ICeep jail out of our city9 By GARY R. BLODGETT Editor FARMINGTON Their message came through loud and clear. - More than 500 Farmington residents packed the Farmington Junior High School gymnasium Wednesday night to urge the Farmington City Council not td support any expansion of the present Davis County Jail, or to build a new public safety complex anywhere within the city. During a 2 '2-hour public hearing, several residents expressed deep concern about future development of a new public safety complex and county jail designed .for between 300 and 400 . """" inmates. , " 'v1-. v - "I have the same feelings as you," said Mayor Robert Arbuckle. "None of us want a jail three or four times the size of our present facility to be expanded or developed anywhere within the city. He assured the huge crowd of concerned residents that the city council will work with the Davis County Commission to locate a site for future expansion of the county's public safety complex - but would not give support for construction of such a facility within the city limits. After the lengthy hearing, the council unanimously voted to withdraw their letter (to the commission) which gave reluctant support to a new jail site in the downtown area. The council also agreed to appoint a citizens' task force to work with the council in the location of a new site. Initially, a citizens' fact-finding committee recommended to the County Commission five possible locations - most of them in the outlying area of west Farmington and south Kaysvtlle. ' Three'of these sites were eliminated as not being "economically "economic-ally or otherwise feasible" for construction of a public safety complex. Initial plans also included an adjacent county fair-Continued fair-Continued Page 2 Oppose Farmington Jail Continued from Pag 1 ' wounds complex. The public safety complex would also feature SnSttntive offices courtroom facilities including judges' "sevenU opponents to the jail expansion said there is reason for great concern because the proposed size of the structure is crowing with each report they hear. . . We know that the jail will be built to federal jail standards and what would prevent Utah State Prison inmates from being housed in this facility," asked one concerned resident. We know that the state wants to build regional prisons, especially ' along the Wasatch Front, and what would prevent this jail complex from replacing a regional pnsonj . The most recent proposal presented to the County Commis-sion Commis-sion is to expand the present facility south to 125 South between Main and 100 East. If approved, the 12 properties (and homes) south of the County Courthouse parking lot would have to be relocated, it was explained. " . It was also suggested that two new structures - one being a jail and the other being a judicial facility - be built on the downtown site. ' . , ... The existing jail would then be used as a detention faculty for weekend prisoners or segregation of prisoners as necessary, it was explained. It was suggested that the older part of the building build-ing be razed or remodeled. . Supporters of this proposal believe that it would be best to keep the jail and judicial offices (public safety complex) in the downtown area. They argue that to remove this complex to an outlying area would "fragment the center of town". Opponents at the public hearing said that the courthouse, , school district offices, and other county and state agencies would remain the nucleus of the city - without expansion of the . proposed public safety complex. They argued that the complex should be developed on county-owned property and located in an area remote from the mass population. . "The downtown site places the jail right in the middle of a developed residential area and very near to an elementary school and a school for the handicapped. "It's bad enough the way it is (present jail facility) but it would be disasterous to expand the facility to three or four times the current size," said one resident. Another said, "We expect to carry our burden as the county seat but that responsibility should not go beyond what is now being done. Farmington has it's share of public buildings and agencies and should not have to carry the burden of a new jail that would be the size of a small prison." He added that the expansion would not create a property tax benefit and would be a very poor use of the land. Surrounding properties, he said, would be devalued and neighbors would be in constant threat of the inmates - especially those on work-release work-release details. Residents wanted to know "where the pressure is coming from" to expand the county jail - and does the jail have to be built in the county seat (Farmington)? They said they did not object to the sheriffs department being located at the present site but urged jail expansion for inmates be relocated to a more remote area outside the city. The matter came up at a regularly scheduled city council meeting at which the city's proposed master plan was to be discussed. Because of that, a few residents challenged the council coun-cil about the legality of (the council) acting on any proposal regarding the jail. The current Davis County Jail is designed for approximately 100 inmates but has an average daily population of about 120 inmates and on weekends will reach a population of more-than 135, according to sheriff department reports. ... . j |