Now

that he has seen more details of Fayette County's

plans to enlarge its jail and courthouse complex

in the heart of Fayetteville, Mayor Kenneth

Steele said he is encouraged.

"The

100-foot buffer is an excellent idea," he

said this week.

City

officials have been concerned that the planned

complex might overpower the city's downtown

revitalization efforts, aimed at creating a

small-town, turn-of-the-century atmosphere.

During

a special public hearing on the jail last week,

the County Commission presented a drawing that

shows landscaping plans for the project,

including a 100-foot buffer around the complex

and a planted berm to screen the jail from

heavily traveled Jimmie Mayfield Boulevard.

"They

made a very compelling argument for the need for

a jail," said Steele. "They've done

their homework in the past few years in

preparation for this."

And

although many city officials might have preferred

to see the jail move out of downtown, Steele said

most are realistic.

"I

think [the county has] invested, over the years,

a lot of time plus money in that property. They

would need a compelling reason to put it

someplace else," he said.

The

county plans to attach two new housing pods to

the current jail, increasing its capacity from

about 85 to 459, and use the current jail only

for maximum security inmates.

Plans

also include renovating the current courthouse

for use as sheriff's offices, and building a new

three-story, 150,000-sq. ft. courthouse. The

third floor would be left unfinished for future

expansion.

In

about ten years, county officials envision adding

an administrative building to the complex, moving

all county office functions to the one site.

Residents

of the surrounding area have mounted a determined

campaign to influence county commissioners to

move the complex, or at least the jail, out of

downtown, including presentation of petitions

with hundreds of names.

But

commissioners told The Citizen recently that they

haven't been swayed by opponents. They plan to

vote on the location Jan. 27, and hope to settle

on a method of financing the project by March.

Fayetteville

officials and volunteers formed a committee back

in the fall to represent the city's views on the

jail project. Steele said the group's main goal

at this point is to be sure the complex fits into

the community.

"If

they build it there," he said, "our

goal is to make it as unobtrusive as possible,

especially the jail. We want them to make the

focal point the courthouse, and later the

administrative complex."

Commissioners

want to be good neighbors to the city, Chairman

Harold Bost said. "We will meet or exceed

all of the city's standards for

development," he promised.

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