Planning process a promising start for prison

Opportunity. It comes in many forms.

Some opportunities are more recognizable than others. Some take time to be recognized at all. Still others can be the source of controversy and debate among folks who are not in agreement about their relative value. So it is with the proposed Mat-Su mega-prison. Touted as an economic opportunity of the first order by public officials, the $303 million, 2,251-bed facility is a joint effort of the state Department of Corrections, Alaska Finance Housing Corp. and the borough.

By all accounts, the term &#8220mega-prison” is appropriate. The facility's design has yet to be finalized, but it could be up to 800,000 square feet and require a parcel of land up to 400 acres in size.

In addition to the 1,300-1,800 jobs provided during the nearly three-year construction phase, some 600 permanent, full-time jobs are said to be needed for the day-to-day operation of the prison. So the potential for positive economic impact is hard to argue.

As part of the planning process, a series of public hearings are planned around the borough. Hearings already completed helped winnow the field of possible sites for the prison from eight to four, as opposition from Meadow Lakes residents, especially, coupled with conflicts over adjacent land uses nixed two proposed sites in that area from the list.

The focus now intensifies on the remaining four sites: Zero Lake, near Houston; Alsop Road at Point MacKenzie; Glenn Highway Mile 58 in Sutton, which is the site of the existing Palmer Correctional Center; and another Glenn Highway site south of Palmer, where gravel pits now operate.

The upcoming hearings will take place sometime in early to mid-November. This final part of the planning process offers opportunity of a different kind - for residents and elected officials, alike.

The presence of a medium-security prison within the boundaries of the rapidly growing borough is sure to have emotions in overdrive.

After all, does anyone really want all those felons in their neighborhood?

It is incumbent, then, on residents who favor the economic opportunity the prison is sure to bring to be realistic about the project. It is equally incumbent on elected officials to be sensitive to public opinion.

The elimination of the Meadow Lakes sites provides good evidence that the borough government is listening and is responsive to resident concerns. This is promising.

Opportunity does abound, on several fronts, with the proposed prison.

We are encouraged by the way the process has unfolded so far, and look forward to a resolution that will maximize both opportunity and satisfaction for all borough residents