OK County officials address concern new jail site could affect OKC Stockyards

Stockyards City is not in danger of being forced to close to make room for a new Oklahoma County jail, according to officials.

That message was delivered by Oklahoma County Commissioner Myles Davidson Monday after he and colleagues met in an executive session to discuss jail locations during Monday's Oklahoma County Board of County Commissioners meeting.

Buzz about potential jail site locations heightened after the board's agenda for Monday's meeting was posted last week. As part of the planned executive session, one of the locations listed for discussion included the generically worded description of "up to 80 acres" of land near the junctions of Interstates 44 and 40.

Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan, the commission's chairman, told The Oklahoman after the agenda was posted it did not relate to any specific property.

Rather, he said he added it so he and his colleagues could consider several different places officials have identified that generally are the size the county needs, including some in or near the Stockyards City area of Oklahoma City.

"We will not be asking the Stockyards to close down one of the largest cattle operations in the country," Davidson said. "We would not, as commissioners, directly impact a multi-billion dollar industry to the state of Oklahoma. That is not one of the things we are looking at."

Like all other sites considered so far, those locations would have to be evaluated for any challenges related to their typography, environmental conditions, zoning, access to utilities and nearby roads and highways.

Beyond that, Oklahoma County then would have to identify and reach the owners of any location or locations the county believes might work as a jail location to see if a purchase agreement could be negotiated, plus deal with any surrounding property owners that might be impacted by the proposed location.

More: Who pays to have Oklahoma County detainees transported to and from the courthouse?

The county is expanding its search beyond what previously has been offered and essentially is shopping the market to see what's available, Maughan said.

What properties are being considered for the new Oklahoma County jail?

Building a new jail is a priority.

Since opening in 1992, Oklahoma County's current, long-troubled jail has been cited for numerous health and safety violations by state and federal authorities. It has become one of the deadliest jails in the country since being taken over in July 2020 by a jail trust, with more than 40 of its detainees dying since. Seven Oklahoma County jail detainees have died so far this year.

The county's current list of properties being evaluated includes:

• 71 acres of land at 1901 E Grand Blvd. and offered for sale for $5.41 million to the county by Willowbrook Investments LLC and Garrett & Company Resources LLC. This is the only initial offer of private land still on the county's list.

• 89 acres of land at NE 10 and I-35 and offered for sale for an undisclosed amount by the Commissioners of the Land Office and the Oklahoma City Water Trust.

• Up to 192 acres of land between S Newcastle Road and SW 54 Street and offered for sale by the Oklahoma City Airport Trust. Oklahoma County already has offered to buy about 50 acres of that site from the trust for $2.5 million, but has not yet received a favorable response on its plan from the Federal Aviation Administration. "We are told it is coming, but we have not received that yet," Commissioner Carrie Blumert stated after the executive session.

• The existing jail site at 201 N Shartel Ave. in Oklahoma City.

• Up to 80 acres near I-40 and I-44 in unincorporated Oklahoma County.

More: Oklahoma County commissioners looking for 'plan B' for new jail site

Maughan said he was approached after Monday's meeting agenda was posted by additional private landowners interested in offering their properties to the county as potential jail locations.

He referred those landowners to county officials for further discussion.

Maughan also thanked Steve Mason, who leads the county's Citizens Bond Oversight Advisory Board, and Mason's board colleagues for the efforts they have contributed to get the county as far along as it is in what he called a "painful" process.

"This has gone on much longer than we had thought, and it has been much more difficult than I think anybody anticipated ... but we are trying to do this and make it right," Maughan said.

Local citizens, elected leaders push back against proposed site at NE 10 and I-35

Before going into executive session, commissioners were addressed by five people who all told them they have no interest in seeing a new jail being built near the location of NE 10 and I-35.

Oklahoma City Ward 7 Councilwoman Nikki Nice argued the best plan of action for the county would be to build a new facility at the jail's current location, noting she has been shown conceptual plans that have been drawn up covering that possibility.

"I do understand there are some difficulties in this conversation, as far as the location," Nice said. "There are ways that we can say we are one who puts criminal justice at the forefront, but what does criminal justice look like?

"It does not look like building a bigger jail. Our community is stressed from having these conversations," said Nice, who was supported by state Rep. Jason Lowe, D-Oklahoma City, who also addressed commissioners.

Lifelong northeast Oklahoma City resident Kevin Maxwell told commissioners the new jail would be too close to areas where children participate in numerous outdoor athletic activities.

"It is very, very disappointing to me that my community is being considered," he said. "If you don't want it in your backyard, we don't want it in ours."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Stockyards City in OKC will not be affected by new Oklahoma County jail