San Carlos doesn’t have a high school, but it may get a big jail.
July 21, 2009
(Thanks to Ken Castle from the White Oaks Neighborhood Organization for the tip on this.)
UPDATE: 7/22 The San Jose Mercury News just published a recap of Monday night's meeting in Redwood City – Residents tell San Mateo County Sheriff no jail near homes
San Carlos is on the list.
San Mateo County is actively searching for a site to build a 776-bed replacement jail, and San Carlos is on the list…twice. Seven total sites in Burlingame, Menlo Park, Redwood City, and San Carlos have been chosen as possible locations. Here are the two in San Carlos:
Redwood City is the only other city that has two proposed sites as well.
Public Workshops
The County of San Mateo has schedule two public workshops to discuss the jail plans in more details. Here are the times and locations for each:
- Tonight, July 21 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the San Mateo County Credit Union — 350 Convention Way in Redwood City.
- Wednesday, July 22 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the San Carlos Library — 610 Elm St. in San Carlos.
Here are additional sites that have more information on the jail proposal:
City of San Carlos — Jail Workshop
San Mateo County Sheriff's Office
Good for San Carlos, or a case of NIMBY*?
Certainly the financial impact of building a 5-story complex in San Carlos would bring some much needed funds into the City's coffers, not to mention more jobs. But how will this be received by the residents of San Carlos? Will having the County Jail within the city limits be too much of a negative connotation on the reputation of San Carlos? We have seen how aggressive lobbying has kept all-weather turf out of San Carlos.…what about a jail?
Is it a good idea, or “*Not-In-My-Back-Yard”?
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Both employees and top officials within our justice system publicly demonize law violators. They should not be surprised when communities do not want offenders in their midst.
This is an attempt to scare us, reorder our priorities, and secure more money for an ever expanding justice system. Wish they would do more to control the size and cost of the justice apparatus rather than seeing “more” as the only solution. We cannot afford a new jail especially when stacked up against other priorities we will have to give up to finance both construction and operations, I would support a new jail only if excesses are squeezed out of the present system. I need to see evidence of more fiscal discipline.