Iron County Commission makes final decision on location of new jail in northeast corner of Cedar City

Composite photo, with background showing proposed site for Iron County Jail, as seen from Automall Drive looking east, Cedar City, Utah. Inset: Iron County Commissioners (L-R) Mike Bleak, Marilyn Wood and Paul Cozzens during commission meeting, Parowan, Utah, March 14, 2022 | Photos by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY — Following months of discussion and public input, the Iron County Commission has unanimously decided to move forward with plans to build a new county jail on a piece of vacant property at the northeastern edge of Cedar City.

After hearing from approximately two dozen people at the public hearing held during Monday’s regular commission meeting, the commissioners voted 3-0 to move ahead with the process to obtain the property in question with the intention of locating the new county correctional facility there.

The chosen location had been nicknamed “Automall” due to its relative proximity to Automall Drive, a winding dead-end road that comes off Main Street near the Interstate 15 Exit 62 interchange.

The automotive dealerships that were once envisioned to make their home there have never materialized, and the area remains undeveloped.

However, the location of the proposed jail site is actually about half a mile to the east of Automall Drive, adjacent to the foothills to the east and just south of a large natural pit (see map below). The pit would likely be used as the site of a water detention basin, officials said at the meeting.

Map of proposed site for Iron County Jail with the 40-acre parcel outlined in yellow and jail site marked with a red X, showing the area’s location relative to the freeway interchange on the northern end of Cedar City | Image courtesy of Iron County Commission, St. George News / Cedar City News

Additionally, even though the property in question comprises 40 acres, only the easternmost 15 acres (about 38% of the parcel) would be used for the jail complex, including the 5 or so acres occupied by the retention pit. The remaining 25 acres to the west would be available for commercial development, county officials said during the meeting.

Before Monday’s public hearing began, county planner Reid Erickson first gave an overview of the jail plans and provided a possible timeline, saying the new facility, estimated to cost between $45 million and $50 million, could be completed by 2025.

Approximately 25 people spoke during the public hearing that followed, including several residents of the Fiddler’s Canyon area who voiced their concerns about the location, notwithstanding the fact that most of them have been living just as close, if not closer, to the existing county jail that was built some 35 years ago.

The current Iron County Correctional Facility, located at 2136 N. Main Street, is operating at near capacity and is in dire need of various structural repairs and infrastructure improvements, county officials said.

One woman, Sheral Wicker, said that after first learning about the proposed project the day before, she gathered over 300 signatures from her neighbors in Fiddler’s Canyon, in a petition titled, “Stop the Iron County Jail from building on prime commercial property in Cedar City.”

“We believe this is prime commercial property and residential property, because it’s right off of Main Street,” she said. 

Map of proposed site for Iron County Jail, showing one-pod design with room for a second pod, with 25 acres of commercial property to the west | Image courtesy of Iron County Commission, St. George News / Cedar City News

Other commenters also expressed concerns that the first thing visitors will see as they approach Cedar City from the north is a jail at the edge of town.

However, Cedar City News made an on-site visit to the property following the meeting and took several photographs. From the spot where the main jail building is proposed to be located, Main Street wasn’t even visible and both Automall Drive and I-15 were several hundred yards away. 

During the hearing, commenter Jim Lunt, who owns some of the property that fronts Automall Drive, said using the name Automall to refer to the jail site is a misnomer.

“Really, this piece of property has nothing to do with the Automall,” he said. “It’s back to the east up against BLM (Bureau of Land Management) property, up against the cedar trees.”

“For those of you who did not attend the other public meetings, I think you’ve done yourself a disfavor because many of your concerns were answered and answered very well,” Lunt added.

As previously reported in Cedar City News, a public town hall meeting was held Feb. 8, followed by an open house on Feb. 22. Videos of both meetings can be watched in their entirety on Iron County’s website.

Lunt also encouraged the commissioners to not “kick the can down the road” any longer.

“I know it’s not easy. It’s not popular,” he said. “But this jail needs to be built. Interest rates are going up today or tomorrow by a quarter to a half percent. If that continues, this $50 million will soon turn into $60 or $70 (million). And we as taxpayers will be asked to foot that bill.”

Other commenters at the meeting voiced concerns about jail security, including what they saw as problems associated with inmate visitation. 

Iron County Sheriff Ken Carpenter speaks during Iron County Commission meeting, Parowan, Utah, March 14, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

However, Iron County Sheriff Ken Carpenter replied and said that’s not an issue. 

“There is no in-person visitation in our jail,” he said. “All of our jail visits are done electronically.”

Carpenter then offered reassurance to those with concerns about safety.

“I don’t ever want to do anything that is going to harm our community in any way,” he said. “I understand that a lot of times, on projects like this, there’s a certain amount of trepidation, a certain amount of fear. And so often it’s fear of the unknown. It’s fear of things that people don’t fully understand or appreciate.”

Having worked in them for his entire adult life, Carpenter said he has complete confidence in their facilities and trusts the deputies to protect the community.

Proposed site for Iron County Jail, looking west toward I-15 and Automall Drive, Cedar City, Utah, March 14, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

“And so from my personal perspective, I believe that the site that is going to best and most effectively support the community is the site off of Automall Drive,” he said.

Another Fiddler’s Canyon area resident, William Fox, said, “As I look at this, I don’t see a safety issue because I feel that our sheriff is perfectly capable of having these people take care of us. I don’t see it as a need issue, because having worked as a teacher in a classroom in the current jail for three years, I know that that building is falling apart and it is undersized. What I do see is that this is prime property for development.”

Danny Stewart, economic development director for Cedar City and Iron County, addressed such economic concerns during his comments.

Proposed site for Iron County Jail, as seen from Automall Drive looking east (jail would be located near the base of the tree-covered hills in the distance), Cedar City, Utah, March 14, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

“Like many who have spoken before me, when I first heard Automall Drive was a consideration, my jaw dropped and I picked it up and dropped it again,” Stewart said. “Because for the past seven and half years in this position, I’ve looked at that property, as has been described, as the most valuable asset we have for commercial retail development. And we desperately need that on the north end of our community.”

But Stewart said many of his concerns were alleviated after visiting the site in person with Iron County Commissioner Paul Cozzens.

“I don’t see that impacting the commercial development there,” he said. “It’s far enough removed, I don’t know that it would be detrimental to my ability to promote the north interchange for retail development.”

Stewart went on to say that he asked economic development experts and architects about the potential negative impacts a jail might have on surrounding properties.

Pit that is proposed to be used as a water detention basin just north of the proposed Iron County Jail site, Cedar City, Utah, March 14, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

“What I was able to find was there is either zero impact or a little bit of positive impact when these buildings are designed correctly, when they are part of the community,” he said. “So, I am not as concerned as I initially was. I think that this could be something that could potentially help spur growth and development on the north interchange.”

Chris McCormick, president of the Cedar City Area Chamber of Commerce, said that he also had concerns about the location until he visited the site in person.

“Once I saw it, I changed my mind,” McCormick said. “I think it’s a good location. I’ve talked to law enforcement people and listened to their reasons. And I think they’re very well-founded for having it there at the Automall area. Also, the building is attractive. It’s also far enough back that I don’t think it is an eyesore.”

“I personally am in favor of it,” he added. “I’ve looked at it from a lot of different standpoints, development and otherwise, and I don’t think it’s going to harm us. I think it’s being well-thought-out.”

Cedar City Mayor Garth Green speaks during Iron County Commission meeting, Parowan, Utah, March 14, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Cedar City Mayor Garth Green also weighed in, saying he wouldn’t oppose the chosen location, so long as the county puts the jail on the “back 15 acres” of the property and fulfills all of its expectations regarding infrastructure, including roads, utilities, landscaping, water and impact fees.

Dave Nakken, who owns undeveloped properties nearby, noted, “I just want to make sure that we understand the importance of developing on the north interchange, isn’t just to support the people that live on the north interchange. It provides a viable course of travel between the south interchange and the north interchange along Main Street.”

County auditor Dan Jessen said the biggest driver of economic development on the south end of Cedar City has been Walmart, and that what the north end needs is a similar anchor.

“The city can’t force business to come in, but they can create a fertile patch of land, if you will,” he said.

Jessen said he believes the added infrastructure and improvements brought in by the new jail will help spur new development in the surrounding area.

“If we can combine that with an incentive area, then maybe we can get some growth to happen there,” he said. 

“The other thing I want to point out is the existing jail is just down the road there on Main Street,” Jessen added.  “If that land were to be sold off and the old building leveled, that could turn into commercial land. That’s 5 acres right there by the north end of town that would be available. So if you’re saying that the jail is a detraction, really, it’s a sideways lateral move and gets it back off from where it is currently at.”

Iron County Auditor Dan Jessen speaks during Iron County Commission meeting, Parowan, Utah, March 14, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

After the public hearing period ended, each of the three commissioners took turns expressing their appreciation for all who have helped in the decision-making process.

“I really appreciate the input,” Commissioner Mike Bleak said. “All of us, we’ve taken hundreds and hundreds of comments and tweaked things, adjusted things and done things differently.

“We’ve really done our homework,” Bleak added. “I believe that this is the best setup, and that we’re not going to find another place that’s available to us for the project. It really does check all the boxes.”

Commissioner Cozzens then recounted how he first wanted to remodel the existing jail, after which he next liked the landfill location. He and the other commissioners then turned their attention toward the Smead site, which seemed favorable at first but was ultimately deemed unfeasible due to costly ground preparation that would be needed to support such a heavy building in a flood plain. Finally, he said, the Automall site entered the discussion.

“And then, when this piece came available, we talked about building on the front side,” Cozzens said of the Automall location. “And I felt, honestly, that that was too close. And that’s when we started talking well let’s push it clear to the back.”

Cozzens also spoke of the effort that went into making the decision. He said they did their research and slowed down the process, adding that he felt they did a good job. 

“This is not easy. But we as commissioners are elected to do what’s right, for the citizens of Iron County as a whole, and I feel really good about this site for all the (reasons) that have been noted,” Cozzens added.

Iron County Commissioners (L-R) Mike Bleak, Marilyn Wood and Paul Cozzens during commission meeting, Parowan, Utah, March 14, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

During her comments, commissioner Marilyn Wood mentioned neighboring Washington County’s Purgatory Correctional Facility, which is located near the western edge of Hurricane near the county fairgrounds, an equestrian park and commercial businesses.

“Right there is their fairground, and they have a huge horse park,” Wood said. “My grandkids go there a lot, because they’re rodeo people. There’s always activities going on there, right next to their jail.”

But one thing Washington County’s jail doesn’t have going for it, she said, is that it has needed to be remodeled multiple times.

Referring to when they toured that facility, Wood said, “They informed us that they didn’t do a real good job planning. They tried to cut corners.”

“They didn’t do it right to begin with,” she added. “As commissioners, we’ve talked about this a lot, we want to do it right.”

Shortly thereafter, Bleak made a motion, saying, “I would like to vote for approval to move forward with the process of the construction of the correctional facility in Iron County at the site that’s been named the Automall site, specifically behind Automall Drive.”

The county’s next steps are to have the property appraised and follow through with due diligence before making a formal offer to buy it. If the county does end up purchasing the 40-acre property (expected to cost approximately $2 million), then the commission would then have to seek both a zoning change and a conditional use permit from the Cedar City Council.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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