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Senate, students oppose jail expansion
Legislation asks county to reevaluate plan, considering university and community
Nicole Strittmater
Issue date: 4/10/08 Section: News
Backed by a small group of students, Student Senate unanimously passed a resolution 28-0-0 Monday night in support of a more community-friendly jail and courthouse.
The legislation asks the county to reevaluate the proposed plan and do so with more community and university input.
The county plans to expand the existing courthouse, 721 Oxford Ave., and build a new jail about 30 feet from the Chippewa River, between First and Second Avenues and surrounding the area between Lake Street and Grand Avenue.
This $59.1 million building project was approved by the County Board in June of 2007, according to the city's Web site.
The city's comprehensive plan states that the location was set aside for "expanding the county facility with respect to the neighborhood," according to a March 13 article published in The Spectator.
Authors of the resolution cited that the community, including students, was not allowed adequate say in the decision to approve this expansion, and it has openly expressed disapproval.
Information Technology Commission director Aaron Brewster said this issue irritates him to no end.
"I think the county was very disingenuous in trying to collect public opinion on this matter. I'm just so incredibly upset that it has gone as far as it has," he said. "I'm really pleased that there's a large community outcry against this now."
The legislation asks the county to reevaluate the proposed plan and do so with more community and university input.
The county plans to expand the existing courthouse, 721 Oxford Ave., and build a new jail about 30 feet from the Chippewa River, between First and Second Avenues and surrounding the area between Lake Street and Grand Avenue.
This $59.1 million building project was approved by the County Board in June of 2007, according to the city's Web site.
The city's comprehensive plan states that the location was set aside for "expanding the county facility with respect to the neighborhood," according to a March 13 article published in The Spectator.
Authors of the resolution cited that the community, including students, was not allowed adequate say in the decision to approve this expansion, and it has openly expressed disapproval.
Information Technology Commission director Aaron Brewster said this issue irritates him to no end.
"I think the county was very disingenuous in trying to collect public opinion on this matter. I'm just so incredibly upset that it has gone as far as it has," he said. "I'm really pleased that there's a large community outcry against this now."
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