Seattle Officials Considering Magnolia for New Jail?

[B&J in Magnolia]

Has anyone heard about this?

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004397216_newjail0...

Seattle names 4 sites that could house jail
By Jim Brunner
Seattle Times staff reporter

Let the neighborhood protests begin.

Seattle officials Tuesday announced four possible sites for a new jail that would hold misdemeanor offenders when the King County Jail runs out of space.

The potential locations are all on industrial or commercial land outside of downtown:

• 11762 Aurora Ave. N. — currently a golf driving range and pro shop.

• 1600 W. Armory Way — a group of small warehouses south of Seattle's Interbay Golf Course.

• 7200 West Marginal Way S.W. — a patch of mostly vacant land near the First Avenue South Bridge.

• 9501 Myers Way S. — part of a former gravel pit adjacent to the city's new firefighter-training facility.

[Bill Gossman]

Yep it is true. What will the mayor try to throw at us next???

[Elizabeth Campbell]

I am aghast that one more time we are being blindsided and imposed upon by the City. Furthermore, and I'm putting this out there - as per the Magnolia News the Magnolia Community Club knew about this, prior to the community, and said nothing to the community. "At this stage, the consultant company is sending out feelers. "They started talking to community groups, but just on an informal basis," Cornwall stressed. One of those contacted was the Magnolia Community Club president, Nancy Bainbridge Rogers. The consultant wanted to know what concerns Magnolia residents might have about having a jail in Interbay."

There was an obligation on the part of the MCC to share this with the community in a timely fashion; this didn't just happen with the revelation yesterday about the jail siting matter - the Magnolia News puts its newspaper to bed the Thursday before the Wednesday it comes out. Considering that there are more than likely MCC board members on this board - why did none of them say anything about this? This is not the first time that this has occurred, it has been a regular occurence. The City likes to run to the MCC, looking for cover for more than a few things it does. In fact it is the MCC that has been Magnolia's representative on the Mayor's BRAC committee for over a year now - which netted nothing for Magnolia.

The fact of the matter is the Magnolia Community Club is not the vanguard organization that is was formerly. Too many of these developments are coming fast and furious on Magnolia, including the debacle at the Village; this all is the result of complacency and a failure to advocate vociferously for Magnolia's rights in this city, including that it Magnolia had a right, still has a right, to create a neighborhood plan that reflects the sentiments of all of Magnolia. While I was on the MCC board I tried to get it to push for a plan for Magnolia and to push back against much of the development that has been aimed at Magnolia (Interbay, Smith Cove, Village developments). The response that I was always given was that the MCC's mission is informational. Well here is some information that was obviously not shared with the rest of the community.

Since that time several former MCC board members and myself formed the Magnolia Neighborhood Planning Council in an effort to get a neighborhood plan for Magnolia, its own, and not one dominated by QA. At every turn in the background have been efforts by a certain organization and the City seeking to thwart that effort? Why is it that they do not want Magnolia to have a neighborhood plan?

It has been real convenient for the City to continually fall back when these issues come up and claim the cover of MCC approval for the latest thing coming down the pike - claiming that everything it says and does represents Magnolia's interests. This is just not true.

Anyway, for my part in this jail siting thing I am requesting the following from the City, and once I receive the materials requested I will be more than happy to share it with anyone that is interested:

To:[e-mail],
Subject:Jail Siting Public Disclosure Request
Date:Wednesday, May 07, 2008 12:52:18 p.m.
[View Source]
Catharine Cornwall, lead analyst on the project from the Office of Policy and Management.

Dear Catharine,

Pursuant to the Seattle City Charter, I am requesting the following documents from your department:

Copy of all RFP/RFQ or other solicitation for consultant services for the consultant contract for jail siting.

Copy of all correspondences between the City and all consultants that responded to the solicitation(s).

Copy of the final contract for "the consultant" that conducted/is conducting the jail site search.

Copy of all materials that the City supplied the consultant, that the consultant has supplied to the City, and/or that the consultant has gathered in the course of their interviews, property searches; including but not limited to interview

[Shaunta]

I would be interesting in seeing whatever materials the City sent you in response to your request. I am also interested in whether the City has considered the collective impact of a jail plus the Fort Lawton development on the infracture, the neighborhood, etc.

[Bill Gossman]

A pr flak from city hall sent me a link with the city's position...

Here they are...

http://www.seattle.gov/municipaljail/outreach.htm

http://www.seattle.gov/municipaljail/Feedback_7-12-08_Public_Forum.htm

[Bill Gossman]

If city hall is nice enough to respond, please post the materials here on sleepless. I'm sure that 750+ folks would appreciate a chance to look.

Not sure why city hall thinks the community club speaks for Magnolia.

[B&J in Magnolia]

Please read this information regarding: http://www.seattle.gov/municipaljail/

and here's the timeline:
Seattle has roughly four-and-a-half years to site and build a new municipal jail, and realizes this is a challenging schedule. To keep to the schedule, Seattle must identify and acquire a site this year.

* Develop Site Options & Acquire Site: January 2008 to January 2009
o Complete Seattle/Eastside Cities Feasibility Study: July 2008
o Complete confirmation of low-rise vs. high-rise jail cost and operation assumptions: July 2008
o Issue draft scooping notice for environmental impact statement; seek public comment: Third quarter 2008
* Architectural & Engineering Design: January 2009 to March 2010
o Issue draft environmental impact statement; seek public comment; hold public meetings: First quarter 2009
o Incorporate public feedback into final environmental impact statement: second quarter 2009
* Bid Construction Job: March 2010 to July 2010
* Build Municipal Jail: July 2010 to July 2012
* Get Building Ready for Occupancy: July 2012 to December 2012
* Municipal Jail Opens: January 2013

[robin fairchild]

I don't like the idea but at least it is on the other side of the tracks and not in Discovery Park. Of course we will have something almost as egregious in the park - homeless housing.

[J&C]

I wouldn't worry about the jail being built in Interbay, since it's 1 of 4 proposed sights. The West Marginal Way or Myers Way seem more realistic, plus Whole Foods is being built right next door to the proposed sight. Doesn't make much sense. I'm WAY more concerned about the homeless housing coming to Fort Lawton.

[B&J in Magnolia]

Under other, more normal, circumstances I would probably agree with you. However, the same statement was probably made about Discovery Park - the logic behind the City/County's determination to have transitional housing in the jewel park makes no sense, so who would have believed it would occur. Most people probably thought much along the same line, "it will never happen, it doesn't make any sense."

Not to be an alarmist, but not sure that it makes sense to say on one hand we trust the City to make the right/logical decision (re: the jail); and on the other hand find fault in their logic (re: transitional housing). Also, one needs to understand and consider the infrastructure (both in buildings, people, traffic flow, disaster management planning, ancillary services, etc.) required to support the requirements of a jail facility.

Good, sound governmental judgment and city planning needs to be encouraged by the constituency of the area(s) the City intends to impact. I'm not sure that a passive approach is a sound approach and conversely don't believe an alarmist approach will work either; a balanced, well educated and informed and articulate approach to these types of issues seem to work well in collaborating with governmental entities for quality outcomes.

[Carly]

The emails about the upcoming meeting that keep showing up are very annoying. 1) because that makes three so far for the same meeting. 2) because they say we should show up so that the city will know we don't want a jail. That gives that message that you only -want- us to show up if we oppose the jail in interbay. Seriously, what happened to having any interest whatsoever in listening to people that want something different than you?

[Bill Gossman]

Sorry for the numerous emails. Simply trying to get the community involved.

I'm sure the organizers will not mind if you attend to show your support for the proposed site.

[Carly]

Then they need to learn how to say that, or least stop assuming that everyone shares their NIMBY opinion.