BC 2005 12 05 WORK SESSION - Laserfiche WebLink

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December 5, 2005 (Work Session) Page 428 was not appropriate for downtown Concord. Mr. McDonald said a group consisting of engineers, architects and others had developed a concept to address the Jail proj ect from an urban design standpoint. He also addressed the importance of developing the vacant corner at Corban and Union and stated the desire to open the door for further communications with the Board. Erik A. Olson, resident of 70 Washington Lane, addressed the Board regarding the Jail project. He stated that Citizens for a Better Concord (CBC) , an advocacy group comprised of local residents and business owners, is committed to finding a workable solution to the Jail overcrowding issues facing Cabarrus County. Further, he said CBC maintains that the Concord Historic District should remain the county seat for Cabarrus County I and endorses the maintenance and development of facilities and services proportionate to the needs of the population. However, CBC opposes the location of one or two 72-foot high, one acre footprint inmate housing complexes within residential areas of Cabarrus County. Mr. Olson presented the following proposal by CBC to construct a Sheriff's Office, Public Safety Center and Inmate Housing Facility along the existing commercial corridor of Corban Avenue under the following conditions: . Construction must be confined to a site roughly described as between Union Street South to Foard Avenue SW, Corban Avenue to McCachern Boulevard SE (estimated total 180,500 square feet); . Total inmate population within the new construction must be held to 250 detainees or less (along with the possibility of upfitting the existing Jail to provide space for up to 100 detainees); . Finished height of new construction must be limited to 40 feet above existing grade or three stories; . Whenever possible, service and mechanical areas should be situated below grade; . Cabarrus County stakeholder groups who express interest (e.g, CBC, Residents for Historic Concord (RHC) , Concord Downtown Development Corporation (CDDC) must be included in project briefings at regular intervals through a designated representative; . Cabarrus County must provide, in a commonly accessible public space, a comprehensive project kiosk, to include: scaled plan and elevation renderings; scale model of site and abutting properties; continued, timely access to pertinent project details in print and digital formats. In addition, Mr. Olson stated that CBC further suggests that Cabarrus County and the City of Concord also make the following considerations: . Integrate the corner property located at Union Street South and Corban Avenue into the larger project with a multi-fa9ade, retail-themed building limited to 40 feet above existing grade or three stories (estimated 24,460 square feet); . Study and consider benefits of integrating The Tribune building into the larger proj ect: retrofitting and conserving the historic fac;ade; reconfiguring interior space as necessary (estimated 5,600 square feet per floor); . Cabarrus County should investigate, purchase and appropriately zone a future remote site suited to housing a larger population (based upon 25 year estimates and beyond) . Margaret Pearson, responded to questions currently proposed for structures that could be conditional use permit. Director of Development for the City of Concord, regarding the center city zoning of the property the Jail project. She commented on the types of built on the property and those that would require a Frances Gallimore reported that Dr. Patrick Quinn, a member of the CBC, would be meeting with the judges about the possibility of instituting other programs that could help reduce the Jail population. These included adult drug court, juvenile drug court and a pre-trial release program. She stated these programs may reduce the number of beds required in the Jail. There was lengthy discussion by the Board regarding the Jail project and the proposal presented by CBC. Items addressed during the discussion included the following: (1) Current average jail population of 220 versus the 250 beds proposed by CBC for the new structure; (2) Future involvement of the Open Space Urban Design Institute; (3) Decisions made concerning the Jail proj ect since 2002; (4) Previous consideration by the Board of the pre-trial release program; (5) Alternatives suggested by the State Jail Inspector to