Fayette

County commissioners got an idea what to expect

at their upcoming public hearing on plans for a

new jail and courthouse during their business

meeting last week.

parade of 18 residents strode to the microphone

during the public comment portion of the meeting,

16 of them to express their displeasure with the

county's plan to expand the current county jail.

"This

is a bitter pill and it will not be

swallowed," said Terri Crump.

"Fayetteville will be known as the place

where the big jail is," said Stephanie

Weaver.

Each

speech in opposition to the jail was met with

applause and whoops from about 40 residents who

attended in support of the speakers.

Two

residents, A.J. VanLandingham and Brent

Hostetler, received about half the volume of

applause when they made comments in support of

the jail expansion plan.

"It's

going to have to go somewhere," said

Hostetler, "and the present location would

serve as a pretty good example and a warning to

potential criminals that that's where they're

going to be going."

"I

hope we can look at facts and not let emotion

dictate what we have to say," said

VanLandingham.

Commissioners

have purchased land to add to the county's

previously owned acreage around the current jail

and judicial complex, creating a 65-acre tract on

which they hope to put the jail and courthouse

with plenty of room left over for a future county

administrative office building.

The

acreage is bordered by Lee Street on the west,

Johnson Avenue on the north and Jimmy Mayfield

Boulevard on the east (there's no street

bordering the complex on the south).

That

location is too close to homes and schools,

opponents say. "Would you live within four

miles of a jail?" Brian Malinowski asked

commissioners.

Commission

Chairman Harold Bost said following the meeting

that his own home is within about five miles of

the jail, adding that in Fayette County, it would

be impossible to find a location that is more

than four miles from subdivisions.

The

entrance to Whitewater Creek, where Bost lives,

is just under five miles from the current jail.

According

to the plan, the existing jail will be renovated

to house only maximum security prisoners, and two

pods (one medium security and one minimum

security) will be added, increasing its holding

capacity from 75 currently to 459 when finished.

The

design includes two future pods that, if built,

would eventually increase the jail's capacity to

843.

Underground

passages will connect the jail and new

courthouse, and the current judicial center will

be renovated and used as Sheriff's Department

offices.

Residents

object to the traffic they believe expansion of

the complex will create, the impact of such large

government buildings on Fayetteville's

history-based downtown revitalization efforts,

and safety problems they believe will be

increased with more inmates living at the jail

and more accused criminals coming to court.

Alternate

solutions offered by the opponents range from

moving the entire complex out of downtown

Fayetteville to scaling down the expansion so

that the buildings are less obtrusive, and less

expensive.

More

details on the county plan will be presented at a

public hearing Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. at the County

Administrative Complex.

During

last week's meeting, commission Chairman Bost

vowed that commissioners will listen to comments

as long as residents want to make them.

"We'll

stay here until sunrise if that's what it

takes," he said.

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