From: Scott MacColl [mailto:smaccoll@shorelinewa.gov] Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2008 3:09 PM Cc: Robert Olander; Eric Bratton Subject: RE: NEC Jail meeting follow-up Thank you for attending both the public forum and the Ballinger Neighborhood Meeting last Monday, and for your maps and information. I'll make sure it's included as part of the record. Please find responses to your questions at the end of each bullet point below, and let me know if you have any follow up questions. Here are the answers from City staff to the questions I sent them yesterday. It appears that our Council was aware that the Aldercrest site had been chosen when they signed the agreement to proceed. I find this disappointing. I think the residents of Shoreline should know that this is what occurred. Shoreline Siting - Shoreline considered four overarching criteria when evaluating sites to put forward for the possible siting of a regional municipal jail as follows:
1. Adequate acreage: acreage required for either a multi-story 200-bed facility at 4 acres, or a single level 640-bed facility at 12 acres.
2. Ease of Acquisition/Ownership: focus was on public property, as the City wanted to avoid extensive negotiations or possible condemnations.
3. Current use: the City sought vacant or underutilized property. 4. Regional access: as a regional jail, it was important to find sites with easyfreeway access. Shoreline selected three initial sites, and after careful analysis, the City selected a final Shoreline site that best addressed the needs of the regional jail planning effort and the citizens of Shoreline. Below are descriptions of the three sites. Selected Site - Aldercrest Annex – 2545 NE 200th Street Acreage: 18 acres Acquisition/Ownership: Public - Shoreline School District Use: Vacant and abandoned school Access: Close to I-5 and State Highway 522 The Shoreline School Board voted in July 2008 to surplus the vacant Aldercrest - Annex property, making it available for purchase. The Aldercrest Annex has enough acreage to accommodate a 640-bed jail facility with sufficient buffers to help minimize its impact on the surrounding neighborhood. At the time Shoreline selected the Aldercrest Annex, no other entity had expressed interest in the property. Other Sites Considered - Fircrest – 15th Avenue NE and NE 150th Street Acreage: Excess property divided into two parcels – one 19+ acres and one 15+ acres Acquisition/Ownership: Public – Department of Natural Resources (DNR) - and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Use: Vacant property and abandoned buildings Access: Close to I-5 In 2007, the State Legislature directed DSHS to create a Master Plan for the excess property located on the Fircrest campus. DSHS is working closely with the City, the surrounding neighborhoods, and the Fircrest School on a master plan to develop portions of the excess property. The current recommended option calls for a combination of government offices, single-family homes, and mixed-use developments. The City determined that introducing a regional jail into the mix of uses already contemplated might complicate the redevelopment of the remaining property. Seattle City Light Property – Between N 163rd Street and N 163rd Place, Behind the Metro Bus Maintenance Center
Acreage: Approximately 5 acres Ownership: Public – Seattle City Light Use: Vacant - used as a park Access: Easy access to I-5 The Seattle City Light property is large enough for a 200-bed jail, but not a 640-bed jail. When the North and East Cities decided to proceed with a 640-bed jail, the Seattle City Light property was no longer viable. |