Wednesday, May 19, 1999
Jail opponents rattle cages
Edgewood residents sound off at hearing
BY CINDY SCHROEDER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
CRESTVIEW HILLS — Bearing black and white balloons and signs reading “No to the 3L Jail,” opponents of a proposed jail site near Edgewood outnumbered supporters 3 to 1 at a packed Kenton Fiscal Court hearing Tuesday night.
While 12 of the evening's 32 speakers opposed building a jail at Interstate 275 and Ky. 17, or the 3L Highway, only four spoke in favor of the 3L site.
Conversely, the DeCoursey rail yards in Taylor Mill garnered support from residents throughout Kenton County, who said it would affect fewer residents than the other three leading sites, and could be ripe for economic development if a jail were built there.
Last week, Taylor Mill City Commission went on record supporting construction of a jail in that city.
“I do support the DeCoursey Yards site because I believe it's the most favorable site overall to benefit the citizens of Kenton County,” Edgewood resident Bob Lang said. His remarks, as in the case with most opposing the 3L site, were met with applause from many in the crowd of more than 350.
About 150 opponents of the 3L site — fired up by motivational speeches, costumed “jailbirds,” and in some cases, the lure of autographed footballs donated by Edgewood resident and Bengals kicker Doug Pelfrey — rallied in Edgewood's Presidents Park, before marching to the Thomas More College campus.
Edgewood resident Robert Smith even brought along a life-size sign of a prisoner in black-and-white garb holding a child's hand to make his point.
“If the jail comes (to the 3L site), I'll be moving,” said the Chicago native who settled in Edgewood 10 years ago.
While concerned about the jail's potential effect on property values, the real estate broker and father of 9-year-old Marissa Smith said that he's even more concerned about the threat to local children.
“When I think of a jail locating (near Edgewood), I think of people like (murder victims) Polly Klaus and
Mary Love,” Mr. Smith said, as he lugged his anti-jail sign into the Connor Convocation Center.
Tuesday's hearing was the first of two to gauge where the public would like to see a new jail built to replace the crowded, inefficient, multistory detention center in downtown Covington.
The next hearing will be at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Erlanger Lions Club.
While public sentiment has favored building a new jail near its present location in downtown Covington, county officials have said that option would require a more expensive, multistory facility.
On each of the four leading sites, county officials propose building a one- to two-story, 576-bed jail. For that, they have said they need at least 20 to 30 acres.
Besides the 52-acre 3L site, with a total project cost of $25.4 million, the leading sites are:
• 21.28 acres within the Northern Kentucky Industrial Park, west of Foundation Road in Elsmere. Access would be from Foundation Road via a right of way. Total project cost: $23.7 million.
Elsmere resident Kim Lonnemann joined other residents of her city in expressing concerns about the proposed jail's proximity to residents, and a nursing home, if the jail is built in Elsmere. She also worried that “the squeakiest wheel,” or the oppo nents of the 3L site, would ultimately have their wishes granted.
“Just look at the area,” Ms. Lonnemann said of the Elsmere site. “You have more houses, more children, and more families (concentrated) in lower economic areas, than in higher economic areas.”
Ms. Lonnemann added that many Elsmere residents couldn't attend Tuesday's hearing “because they're out working two or three jobs.”
• 31.4 acres of a vacant farm northwest of the Ky. 17 and Richardson Road intersection, between Banklick Creek and the railroad tracks. Access would be from Richardson Road. Total project cost: $23.9 million.
• An undeveloped 30-acre parcel in the former DeCoursey Yards, bordered by the Licking River on the east and railroad right of way to the west, toward the southern end of the freight yards. Access would be off Locust Pike, via a new bridge spanning railroad right of way. The Taylor Mill site is zoned industrial. Total project cost: $25.8 million.
On Tuesday, several residents asked why county officials had not considered building a jail as part of the new courthouse opening in mid-June near Covington's riverfront.
“If we want a jail out in the boondocks, we should have built a courthouse out in the boondocks, too,” Fort Mitchell resident John Ellenbogen said.
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