HPAC report #1: “Lull” in the jail-site process, but no letting up

August 25, 2008 8:36 pm
|    Comments Off on HPAC report #1: “Lull” in the jail-site process, but no letting up
 |   Highland Park | Neighborhoods | West Seattle jail sites | West Seattle news

Just back from the Highland Park Action Committee meeting, which for the first time in months spent less time on the jail-sites fight than on other matters – not because they’re letting up, but because, as HPAC chair Dorsol Plants noted, the city’s part of the process is in a sort of lull: Now that the city is exploring a partnership with north-/east-side cities to find a site for a regional jail (as first reported here in early July), instead of simply pursuing its own site, Seattle has to wait for those cities to “catch up” and propose potential misdemeanor-jail sites to add to the list (if you’re just catching up with this, in early May Seattle identified four “finalists,” including two in southeast West Seattle). But HPAC leaders and members have kept the pressure on – meeting with all but one City Council member, for example; Plants says some council members are talking about possible “mid-rise” jail options rather than the “low-rise” that had the city focused on 7-acre sites including the ones in this area. HPAC vice chair Rory Denovan urged concerned citizens to keep sending letters and e-mail to city leaders, saying “that’s made a big impact.” Plants also revealed that 11th District State Rep. Zack Hudgins is donating about 200 signs to the jail-sites fight: “The bulk of what it will say is, ‘We need jobs, not jails’ – sticking with our main argument right now, that the land-use codes (for the potential sites) are there for a reason – we need to protect industrial and commercial areas, so the community can grow with good job opportunities.” After the brief jail-fight update, HPAC moved on to a briefing/discussion of a road project that will affect everyone on the peninsula, the Spokane Street Viaduct work – city project manager Stuart Goldsmith had some new info, including an update on when the eastbound lower roadway will close – first significant part of the work – and we’ll be posting that separately a little later.

No Replies to "HPAC report #1: "Lull" in the jail-site process, but no letting up"

    Sorry, comment time is over.