VERGENNES — Vermont officials are considering putting a secure juvenile detention facility on state-owned land in Vergennes, but City Manager Ron Redmond said it is not a done deal.
It is fair to say a plan to place a 20,000-square-foot, 14-bed, locked facility on 8 acres on Comfort Hill’s west side near an existing solar array is probably the lead option among state officials, Redmond said.
But no application for the project has been filed, he noted. And if it is built, that wouldn’t happen without a public process evaluating whether the facility is acceptable to the city, its officials and its residents.
Thus, a headline in Seven Days that stated such a facility “will be built” in Vergennes is not necessarily correct, Redmond said. He’s basing that on discussions he and other city officials have had with representatives of the Department of Buildings and Grounds and General Services, and the Department For Children and Families.
“They have never said this is a fait accompli,” Redmond said.
Rather, he said, informal talks about the possibility that Vergennes could be chosen rather than a South Burlington site now can become public informational meetings.
Mayor Chris Bearor and other city councilors, planning and zoning officials, and department heads, as well as Redmond, are familiar with state officials’ consideration of a new juvenile facility.
“What the state has done, is we’ve had some cursory meetings with them where they’ve said we have a project. We have two potential locations. We’ve done a (request for proposal) … and we’ve gotten the responses back,” he said. “And the meetings we’ve had with the state have really been more about there’s going to be community engagement and a public process. And we want to talk to the community about this process.”
In fact, Redmond added, “We have as much information about the project (status) as the media have reported.”
Redmond said he could “understand some apprehension,” but that city officials would cooperate with their state counterparts on community outreach that might answer some questions.
“We’re good partners with the state. We’ve had good relations with them,” he said. “But any project requires review by the city, and we will look forward to having a public process so we can understand better what the goals are for it. And I think the state does, too. I think they’ve been very earnest with us, and they’ve always had very respectful conversations with us.”
There are advantages for the state in siting the facility in Vergennes, primarily that there would be no land acquisition costs.
There could also be benefits to Vergennes, including what Redmond said are projected to be 30 jobs and at least initially property taxes paid by the private contractor who would lease and operate the facility.
He also hinted that, although “there have been no formal conversations” this early in the process, there could be quid pro quos for the city for hosting the facility, possibly such as potentially support for housing initiatives.
“During the public process the city will share its own goals,” Redmond said.
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