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No Jail Downtown, Please!
Redwood City residents rally outside a public jail
planning meeting in an effort to divert a plan to build
another facility in the heart of downtown.
Jail planning and Redwood City officials are
strongly considering an alternative site for a new
correctional facility, but dozens of residents
adamantly against previous plans for a facility
downtown were taking no chances.
Bearing “no downtown jail” stickers and hoisting
signs proclaiming “keep our downtown kid-friendly”
and “we love our downtown,” the crowd gathered
outside a public jail planning meeting to leave no
doubt about their position.
“We need to speak up now. If we don’t, after it’s
built is too late,” said Samuel Gomez.
Gomez, 36, lives less than three blocks from the
proposed site on the current motor pool, near the
existing Maguire Correctional Facility on Bradford
Street. Gomez said he bears no ill will toward those in
jail but, with three young daughters, doesn’t want
to take any chances with their safety. Not only
does Gomez prefer the newly proposed Chemical
Way site on “the fringe” of Redwood City, he
would like to see the city pull up roots on all
correctional facilities and place them out there.
But a new jail won’t replace Maguire. No matter
where it is situated, the new building will replace
the bloated Women’s Correctional Facility on
Maple Street and alleviate overcrowding at Maguire.
All bookings and releases will still happen at
Maguire, and those awaiting court cases will still
be housed there, according to Sheriff Greg Munks.
Moving both to the new facility has not yet
been considered because there is a cost associated
with building the necessary space, said Lt. Debbie
Bazan of the Sheriff’s Office jail planning unit.
Several attendees, however, demanded the idea
be looked at and Munks agreed to hold another
meeting specifically to address that issue.
A new jail would focus on more minimumsecurity
inmates and providing much-needed
space for rehabilitation and education programs.
Inside the meeting at San Mateo Credit Union
in Redwood City, Munks and members of the
jail planning unit revisited the lengthy history of
trying to get a new jail — a series of contentious
exchanges with city leaders and residents, the
narrowing of two dozen possible sites down to
seven and eventually the motor pool preference,
and now the idea that a jail does not have to be in
such close proximity to Maguire.
Chemical Way is on the east side of the freeway
and approximately five acres, which would let the
jail be built out rather than up.
As proposed, the new jail would have 768 beds
and require 145 employees. In downtown, a jail of
that size would be five stories. On Chemical Way,
it would be closer to three, Munks said.
The jail itself is estimated to cost between $150
million and $160 million, but buying the Chemical
Way land would add to that price tag. Munks
estimates needing $18 million more annually in
operating costs although Rich Gordon, president
of the Board of Supervisors, has previously
suggested it be closer to $20 million because of
needs like correctional health and food service.
Sharing those needs, particularly food
preparation, has often been cited as a reason to
build on the motor pool site. Transportation to the
courthouse at 400 County Government Center is
another consideration.
Although the price tag will be steep, the county
“can’t afford not to do it,” Munks said.
Although the Chemical Way site now seems
to be preferred by many involved, nothing is
yet solid. Munks hopes to come before the
Board of Supervisors within October to present
the alternative. Munks previously spoke to
supervisors about the motor pool idea but the
board refused to sign off on the proposal without
receiving more information on the needs.
When asked directly which site he preferred of
the two, Munks said he preferred not to commit
until the process plays out. That said, he is “very
open” to the Chemical Way site if lingering questions
about price and the environment are resolved.
Regardless of the jail site selection, the county
will have the same number of inmates, Munks
said, emphasizing that the desire is not to expand
the population but to free the county from the
“overcrowding crisis” that could place it in danger
of releasing prisoners or being sued.
Several protesters outside the meeting said they
didn’t dispute the need for a jail but simply do
not want it downtown where it can destroy the
area’s recent revitalization, endanger children and
change the business atmosphere.
“It’s not just the jail itself. It’s everything that
comes along with it,” said Anneke Cole, ticking
off possibilities like more bars, bailsmen and
anger management programs.
Redwood City Manager Peter Ingram said
concern about that kind of land use is partially
what drove the City Council’s previous concern
about a downtown jail. The worry isn’t specific
businesses, he said, but in establishing a balance.
Downtown Redwood City already fosters an
unsavory element because of the current jail,
according to one resident who interrupted Munks’
description of the area as safe. She is accosted daily
by people who say they are fresh out of jail, she said.
Both Cole and Gomez cited homeless
individuals as another problem and while they
cannot be certain it is tied to the jail, they did not
discount the possibility.
Editor’s note: This article appeared in the Daily
Journal newspaper.
Senior Activities
The Veterans Memorial Senior
Center, 1455 Madison Ave.,
Redwood City, provides the
following activities that are open
to the public during the month of
October.
SamTrans Trip to Half Moon Bay
Wednesday, Oct. 6
$4. Sign up at 650-575-6940.
The Impact of
Oxidative Stress on Aging
Thursday, Oct. 7
Free lecture.
Free Movie: “Killers”
Friday, Oct. 8, 1:15 p.m.
www.SpectrumMagazine.net
Italian Dinner and Mandolin Concert
Friday, Oct. 8, 6 p.m.
$20. Sign up at 650-780-7259.
Free Movie: “Letters to Juliet”
Friday, Oct. 15, 1:15 p.m.
Free Movie: “The Karate Kid”
Friday, Oct. 22, 1:15 p.m.
VMSC Halloween Luncheon
Thursday, Oct. 28, 12 p.m.
$8. Sign up at 650-780-7259.
Free Movie: “Robin Hood”
Friday, Oct. 29, 1:15 p.m.
To learn more about the Veterans
Memorial Senior Center, call 650-780-
7270. Redwood City Parks, Recreation
and Community Services Department
provides recreational facilities and
activities for all ages and interests, and
supplies building and custodial services
for city buildings. Redwood City Parks
also operates the Veterans Memorial
Senior Center and the Fair Oaks
Community Center, providing social,
educational and cultural activities, as well
as information, referral and counseling
services to persons living in Redwood
City and neighboring communities.
Redwood City Parks is more than you
think! Its website is www.redwoodcity.
org/parks.