Tuesday, March 02, 1999
Edgewood huddles to stop jail
Town told to come up with alternative
BY CINDY SCHROEDER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
EDGEWOOD — Kenton County Commissioner Barb Black on Monday urged residents who don't want to see a county jail built near this city to suggest alternatives.
“I want to applaud you for being willing to be part of the solution,” Mrs. Black told a crowd of about 150 people who met at the Edgewood firehouse to organize opposition to what has been referred to as the 3L jail site, endorsed by the past fiscal court. “It's one thing to say, "I don't want the jail in my back yard.' It's another to offer solutions.”
While acknowledging the members of Kenton Fiscal Court “are under tremendous pressure to choose a jail site,” Mrs. Black said county officials are researching everything from the cost of building a jail at the 3L site to alternative locations.
Although Kenton Fiscal Court tentatively plans to hold a public hearing on the jail issue during the third week of March, Mrs. Black said no deadline has been set for a decision.
Monday's special Edgewood City Council meeting was called after a standing-room only crowd packed last week's regular meeting to express its frustration over a proposed jail site south of Interstate 275 and east of Ky. 17. While the site is actually in Covington, it is near one of the main entrances to Edgewood, and would be visible from many of the city's homes, resi dents said.
At Monday's strategy meeting, Edgewood City Council joined neighboring Fort Wright in officially opposing the 3L site. The crowd also divided into three groups to develop alternative sites, get the word out about the 3L jail site and organize Edgewood's opposition to it.
Edgewood resident Cindy Bischoff passed out many of the 300 signs she ordered last week with the message, “Stop the 3L Jail.” Ms. Bischoff said she put the $1,351 purchase on her personal credit card to raise awareness of the proposed jail site, and to show the city's opposition to it.
“It's not enough to say that we don't want the jail in our back yard,” said Councilman Dale Henson, who added the
city's goal is to present a unified front to county officials. “We want to come up with good, hard facts as to why it does not belong down there.”
Kenton Fiscal Court has not yet decided on a design or location for a jail to replace the crowded, inefficient multistory facility near Covington's riverfront.
Because of the previous fiscal court's endorsement of the 3L site, residents of Edgewood and Fort Wright say they are taking no chances.
In phone calls, e-mails and petitions to county officials, opponents have cited the high cost of building the $38 million facility and making infrastructure improvements, concerns about the cost and security of transporting prisoners through residential neighborhoods (as they're taken to and from court appearances near Covington's riverfront), and worries that it would discourage business development in the area.
County officials have said a new jail is needed to replace the building in Covington that has been plagued by security and disciplinary problems, as well as numerous lawsuits.
The fiscal court members who took office in January are also researching whether the county can afford the estimated $38 million price tag of a jail at the 3L site. Mrs. Black said she does not think the county can afford a $38 million jail.
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