How Oklahoma County's search for a new jail site more resembles a game of Whac-A-Mole

Oklahoma County's search for a location to build a new jail feels like a game of Whac-A-Mole.

On Friday, Commissioner Myles Davidson attempted to convince his colleagues to reconsider land at 1901 E Grand Blvd. for the project — a site already removed from the county's list of potential jail locations several times.

But commissioners were greeted and addressed by a large contingent of Del City-area residents, elected city and school leaders and public officials, all of whom implored commissioners to pull the location from consideration, arguing placing a jail there would hurt their community.

At a meeting commissioners held between Christmas and New Year's Day, Davidson joined Commissioner Carrie Blumert and supported her motion to remove the Grand Boulevard site from consideration. The lone no vote was cast by Commissioner Brian Maughan, who said he feared that might be the only location Oklahoma City would zone for a jail's use.

But it was back on the commission's list as a possible location again when commissioners met Jan. 10 after the property owners resubmitted the land for consideration at a slightly reduced asking price.

"Even if it was offered for free, it is not a good location," Del City Councilwoman Claudia Browne told commissioners at that meeting.

Commissioners, with Davidson out of town and represented by a deputy, voted a second time to pull the site from its list.

Before commissioners met Friday, Davidson told The Oklahoman via a spokesperson that he was requesting his colleagues reconsider buying the Grand Boulevard site because he had concluded it was the only workable option remaining for the county to pursue.

"I have been told the Stockyards will not work," Davidson texted as he traveled back to Oklahoma Thursday afternoon. "That would leave no viable spots" for the county to consider, he texted.

Opponents of the Grand Boulevard location were not convinced that's the case, and wondered if Davidson was trying to pull a fast one.

"Why are we here at 3-o-clock on a Friday afternoon to discuss this site after every one of you have voted against this site at one time or another," Del City Mayor Floyd Eason asked commissioners. "What's going on?"

"You all are playing with peoples' lives," Gina Standridge, a member of the Mid-Del school system's board of education, told commissioners. "You are going to destroy any progress we have made in Del City."

Downtown is best location for a new Oklahoma County jail, activist argues

At least one critic of the jail's selection process continues to argue Oklahoma County should consider building its new jail downtown on properties adjacent to its existing operation.

Jess Eddy, an Oklahoma City community organizer, told county commissioners when they met Jan. 10 and again on Friday that downtown is "unequivocally the best" location to use, given its nearness to Oklahoma County's courthouse, attorneys, bondsmen, public transportation and various social services.

"The judges, the public defender, the district attorney, the courts are in unanimous support of the belief that downtown is the ideal location," Eddy said Jan. 10.

But Eddy said the location hasn't been thoroughly vetted, and questioned if county commissioners were reluctant to do so because they had been successfully lobbied against considering that location by a deep-pocketed investor who plans to build high-end housing nearby.

While Eddy named the investor at Friday's meeting, he presented no evidence to suggest that person had done anything illegal in blocking the potential use of that land.

"I think people in this county need to know why that hasn't happened and what other interests have impacted this process about the most pressing issue Oklahoma County government has ever faced."

Eddy argued Oklahoma County should seriously look at adjacent properties to the current jail before going after others that would negatively impact already-struggling communities.

"I am here to object to a commercial interest overcoming a public interest. That's a big problem for me as a public advocate," Eddy said.

Oklahoma County's search to find a new location for its jail has lasted for months

Oklahoma County faces increasing time pressures as it tries to secure land and approval from Oklahoma City to build a new jail.

So far, Oklahoma County only has offered to buy a a piece of property near SW 54 and Newcastle Road from the Oklahoma City Airport Trust for $2.5 million, hoping to build the new jail there.

But the Federal Aviation Administration nixed that plan, saying a jail built on Will Rogers World Airport's north side could prevent the use of future federal funds to expand or improve the facility's operations.

More recently, Commissioner Davidson proposed acquiring land along Stockyards City's west side as a future jail location.

On Friday, Davidson apologized to the dozens of people who stayed through an executive session that lasted nearly two hours as he made a motion to take no actions regarding any properties still being considered by the county.

Davidson said he had intended for his proposal to reconsider the Grand Boulevard site to be placed on the commission's agenda for its meeting Jan. 17, but said wires got crossed as he attempted to carry out that plan using a phone on an aircraft as he returned to town after a trip.

"This was not intended to look like it was backdoor, or anything of the sort. This is nobody's fault but my own. The buck stops here," Davidson said.

Maughan, the commission's chairman, told onlookers he did not expect the board will consider individual locations when it meets next week.

"We have got several things we need to pursue ... to understand more options that might be available to the county," he said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Commissioners asked to reconsider twice-eliminated jail site near Del City