I see another jail proposal is in the works, this time in consultation with neighboring property owners who'd rather the jail be invisible. The new proposal will be a lot smaller than the previous one, which means we'll see another jail proposal in 15-20 years rather than 25-30 years, and it has the advantage of eliminating the organized opposition that contributed to the magnitude of the defeat of the first proposal. It remains to be seen if the opposition in other parts of the county is similarly mollified.

This proposal, if built, will significantly change the character of the courthouse square. It will also alter traffic patterns on Holden Street, which may in fact be an advantage. If Market Street is closed, perhaps Hout Street will be changed to one-way westbound instead of eastbound (as it should have been changed in the streetscape project). Of course, that change would require tearing out the "bump-outs" at Hout and Holden and redesigning them, but it would cure the major traffic tie up caused by the change from stop light to 4-way stop at Holden & Culton.

There's no doubt that the old jail needs to be replaced and that a new facility would be both easier & cheaper to operate as well as safer for inmates and staff. The old Safeway store building isn't particularly good as an Extension Service office, either. I hope that the County Commission provides a useful place for the County Extension office, since it's one of the few government agencies that is truly there solely to help people.

See also Gadfly 52, Gadfly 246, Gadfly 242, Gadfly 200 and Gadfly 189