Is it possibly to take something controversial, and make it a leader within the community?

Some building type provide great concern and opposition within communities such as detention facilities. Over the pas several years, I've worked on a County Adult Detention Center (ADC). This facility will replace one which was built in the early 1970's, and has sense outlived its usefulness. There has been some opposition to the project and its proposed site.

A concerned citizens group has come out in opposition to the proposed project site. The local municipality has approved the site which has lead to court action by the citizens group. After an extended process and change of venue for the hearing, the court system has finally ruled in favor of the county's proposed site.

Site is located just outside the central business district west of the existing ADC on what was once an elementary school site. Site is one block off a main east west corridor and adjacent to a major north south corridor. An one point the site was just south of a private elementary school which was destroyed during hurricane Katrina, with no current plans of rebuilding.

One of the difficulties with any site selection for this type of facility, state law requires county detention facilities to be located within the county seat. Couple of years ago there was local private legislation introduced to relocated the ADC into the county, but a local legislator blocked the measure thinking that the county was wanting to put the facility in town, which they are now forced to do.

County seat is basically land locked by water on two sides and other communities surrounding its other sides. Within city limits selection is very limited due to several factors of which flooding is the major one. Being a coastal community a major consideration to take into account is elevation above sea level and storm surge.

As with most things in life, we must look for the good which can come from something which is even controversial. The location and type of structure could allow the facility to become a leader within the community by thinking outside the box with this type of facility.

From what I understand it’s not necessarily the ADC but the community work center (CWC) which has caused the most objections. One of the things which I’ve always heard was passers-by do not like traveling down Telephone Road and seeing them outside weight training and playing basketball. To screen the ADC from the street, the inmate exercise yards are surrounded by a twelve foot high masonry wall at the perimeter, and then within this defined space, inmate exercise yards are separated by twelve foot security fence.

One thing which we can do is create a landscape buffer between north south corridor and the ADC. This buffer zone would also include an area in front of the CWC. This “Park” is seen as a natural setting, not necessarily a public spot, although it could be utilized by those families visiting or waiting at the ADC. Vegetation and trees would be species indigenous to the area. This would create a setting at a smaller to the natural river system which exists just a little ways from the site. The water feature would serve two functions. It would act as storm water retention, but would also allow some water to slowly filter through the ground and assist with the recharging of the local aquifer.

An issue/opportunity we have will be the two+/- acre roof scape. This provides an opportunity to address a couple of issues which would benefit the County and Citizens long range. As we are well aware, energy costs are now taking more of a toll on everyone’s budgets and there seems to be no end in sight. The structure is in place to support it and we should consider making the roof a vegetative roof. Life expectancy of this type of system is about thirty years.

This would benefit the County by reducing the equipment required to heat and cool the ADC by some where in the range of 20% to 30%. This would reduce the energy demand of the facility. Reduce heat island effect of facility on its surroundings. The technology behind the system (from deck up) is well developed and proven.

Another issue which will have to be addressed will be storm water run-off. This system also acts as a retention basin and would reduce the time of run-off entering the system. A portion of the water would be retained by the roof for irrigation of the vegetation on the roof.

With this option, and the incorporation of the landscape buffer, we could create an “avian sanctuary” within the city limits.

Some early thoughts on a work in progress.