Top site for new 'jail annex' on Heilig Road; county-owned property could be home for 160 inmates

Friday, October 02, 2009 3:00 AM  |  Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend | By Jessie Burchette

jburchette@salisburypost.comLand on Heilig Road is the preferred site for a county jail expansion.

The county-owned property is at the intersection of Heilig and Faith roads.

Under pressure from the state over jail overcrowding, the county is preparing to build a 25,000-square-foot, dormitory-style facility that will house 160.

The county previously hired Charlotte-based Mosley Architects to design the jail expansion, which is budgeted to cost no more than $6 million.

County Manager Gary Page said this week a committee planning the jail project, officially called the "Jail Annex," ranked the Heilig Road site above two others, also county-owned properties.

The other sites under consideration include a 10-acre tract off Airport Road on National Guard Road. The site was once targeted for a quarter-midget race track. Another 25-acre tract on the south side of Julian Road is on land currently used for fairgrounds parking.

All three sites are within three miles of the Rowan County Detention Center and Rowan County Justice Center in downtown Salisbury.

While any of the sites would probably work, Page said the Heilig Road site has risen to the top of the rankings.

Among the positives, the Heilig Road tract covers 84 acres and is in a primarily industrial area. While a section of the tract is within a flood plain, as much as 50 acres is usable for the jail project and possible future county projects.

"The county will need land for future expansion," Page said. "The site has ample room for other county agencies."

The Heilig Road property is within Granite Quarry's extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction and is zoned industrial.

Page planned to talk with Granite Quarry officials this week related to the zoning.

While the other two sites are suitable for the jail annex, Page said they have some potential drawbacks.

The National Guard Road tract is viewed as a viable economic development site for industry or business looking to locate at the airport.

When the site was selected as the home of a quarter-midget race track, residents in the nearby Forest Glen subdivision mounted a campaign to block the rezoning by the city of Salisbury.

Using the Julian Road site would interfere with fairgrounds parking.

The committee ranked the National Guard Road site its second choice and Julian Road as third.

Page said the committee will meet once more before taking the site recommendation to the Rowan County Board of Commissioners at its Oct. 19 meeting.

Although not required, Page said commissioners may opt to have a courtesy public hearing to allow public comment before the final decision on the site.

Committee members include commissioners Chad Mitchell and Raymond Coltrain, Finance Director Leslie Hedrick and Sheriff George Wilhelm.

Commissioners will be asked to approve the site and clear the way for environmental testing, the final step before design work gets under way.

Contact Jessie Burchette at 704-797-4254.