By DAVE HAMRICK
Staff Writer

Residents who are pushing for a public hearing on plans for a new Fayette County Jail will get their wish, says County Commission Chairman Harold Bost.

“We do plan to have a public hearing in the very near future,” Bost told The Citizen this week, “either in December or January.”

County officials will offer a detailed presentation of plans for the jail and will invite public comment on those plans, he said, but added that those who want the jail built somewhere other than its planned site between Lee Street and Jimmie Mayfield Boulevard will have a difficult time making their case.

“There are so many reasons that that's where it's got to be, that it would be hard to justify it to the taxpayers if we decided to put it anywhere else,” said Bost. “But we will listen, as we have up to this point,” he added.

Residents who attended the commissioners' Oct. 28 meeting not only called for a public hearing on the jail, but asked commissioners to back off on making any final decisions until the public has a chance to comment.

“We don't want a discussion that's only about what color the toilet seats are and whether the building is round or square,” said Jim Fair of Fayetteville. Fair and his wife, Denise, have been at the forefront of efforts to convince the commission to move the jail out of downtown Fayetteville to a more sparsely populated area.

Commissioners are discussing plans to add two new housing pods, each holding 192 inmates, to the existing jail, which has beds for 75.

The existing jail would then be renovated to provide maximum security for those accused of violent crimes. One of the new pods would house medium-security inmates, while the other would be a dormitory-type facility for status offenders.

Total capacity of all three pods would be 459 inmates, with space set aside for two additional 192-prisoner pods in case they should be needed in the future.

Plans also include building a new three-story courthouse facility next to the jail, and connecting jail and courthouse with an underground passageway so prisoners can be transported to court sessions without the additional risk of taking them outside.

In addition to general comment on the plans for the jail, Bost said commissioners will be seeking residents' advice on how to fund the project. The jail and courthouse are expected to cost around $60 million.

Residents like the Fairs say increasing the size of the current jail will mean increasing the risks to the surrounding community, which includes schools and homes.

“There's no guarantees in life,” resident Etna Sweeva told commissioners. “It's not a good idea to have a jail near our schools.”

Catherine Young of Woodgate Drive said the jail is “practically in my front door. Why suddenly do we have to have a jail at our doors?”

“A lot of us feel like we're being railroaded,” added Cecil Weaver. “There should be an opportunity for the public to voice their opinions.”

Bost said officials will try to convince residents that the planned location is the safest one available, even as they listen to residents voice their feelings, positive or negative. “We'll try in the presentation to show everybody why the jail has to be where we've got it planned,” he said.

Then, he added, “We'll let those that are for it and those that are against it have their say and move forward from there.”