FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) – Fort Wayne City Councilwoman Sharon Tucker and other local leaders spoke Tuesday afternoon at the Adams Township Fire Department on Paulding Road to voice concerns over the recent jail proposal.
Last Friday, county commissioners announced plans to build a new jail facility on land that the county owns near the intersection of Adams Center and Paulding Roads. Tucker said that she and the residents that she represents in the 6th district were excluded in the discussion for the new jail location.
Concerns presented include the proximity to a local elementary school and the potential impact on development in southeast Fort Wayne. Other locations were offered as suggestions, most notably, the Irene Byron Health Site on Lima Road.
In a release to the media, Tucker said, “I would hope that the County will consider all possible options, and not just take the path of least resistance. The egregious decision does nothing but continue a generational tendency of disrespecting the residents of Southeast Fort Wayne.”
During the press conference Tucker added, “I personally don’t want to support a jail going in anybody’s community.”
6 comments
That’s a great idea Sharon, Lets put the Jail along a well-traveled highly visible part of a State Route and main corridor into town. Nothing says “Welcome to Fort Wayne” like a brand new Jail. LOL
How about a compromise, we should just scrap additional phases of Riverfront, and expand/renovate the downtown jail…?
What a great idea to put it on Lima which is just down the road from several schools. Clearly the person suggesting that it goes on Lima needs to go back and get a better education!
It’s a county jail not a city jail, should have never been built downtown. Where it’s visible? Are you serious, what a joke how do invisible building’s work again. Property is already owned by the county. You might want to check where overwhelming majority of crime happens.
Seems like your comments were directed to comment #1:
1) Last time I checked, the City of Fort Wayne resides within Allen County, and therefore, The County could put the Jail wherever they want within the County.
2) The County currently owns both the properties for the proposed new jail (currently invisible) on Lima Road (Proposed by Sharon), and on Paulding Road (County’s Proposed Location) as well as the Existing Jail Downtown location (currently Visible).
3) Sharon, is suggesting on Building the New jail (yes, currently “invisible” since it in not yet built) along Lima Road, which would be “Highly Visible” (once constructed) to people heading to Fort Wayne.
I was making a joke about Sharon’s location since it would be an announcement to people arriving in Fort Wayne from the north.
In addition, Sharon’s location is surrounded by residential housing, schools and churches. Also, it would be nearly double the distance for Law enforcement to travel from the courthouse to the location on Lima Road.
The Lima Road location is very valuable real estate since it is on a major route (typically commercial), but the Southeast location is well off major roadways, most-all adjacent property is agricultural, with agricultural being abundant to both the east and to the south which is why the County has a Shooting range there, and they are in the design process of Trails and trailhead for people to ride horses. The southeast location is all but a slam dunk.
There is currently over $100M in new development proposed for her district; new projects seem to pop up every week, and none of that is going away due to a jail. This is a Jail, not a Federal Penitentiary. If Sharon was smart, she would look for ways to benefit her district from the County’s Jail project.
Disrespecting the residents of southeast part of town?. The amount of tax dollars that goes to this area every year doesn’t support those claims.
People and their concerns…
So the County Commissioners announced plans to build on the land they currently own on Adams Center and Paulding Roads. That’s great, since they already own it!
What’s wrong with that?
OoooOOoh..
Concerns about the nearby school?
hmmm..
I’d think it to be great motivation for the little ones. Not to mention teachers could just ‘point’ up the road, when making their argument to a student.
Concerns for a developmental impact?
I would think that area could use a couple NEW buildings in that area, to spruce it up a bit.
This is for a new Allen County Jail… why would anyone suggest placing it inside town?
You wouldn’t want a County Jail in City Limits, especially when you own ground outside said Limits.
blah blah blah..
Oh, and i love it when people use the word, ‘egregious’. Egregious.
Disrespecting.. egregious.
Ya, know what’s really egregious, Miss Sharon?
…all the insurmountable death and violence that occurs on the SouthEast side of town.
Maybe seeing an expansive County Jail go up, in the region, will give the City Police something to aim for!