Jail project on track

All public comment was positive on Tuesday, July 29 when a Skagit County Jail presentation was made to the City of Mount Vernon Hearing Examiner.

The final step in land use permitting of a new jail is the Essential Public Facilities process with the City.

In the wake of this public meeting the Hearing Examiner will make a recommendation to the City Council. Council members will make a final determination on the application, possibly in early September.

In terms of design, architects have had a number of meetings with jail and court staff in preparing the current design (see graphic).

“We remain on track with our original schedule,” Estvold reports. “We completed an on-site soils evaluation last week to determine the extent of contamination, and we are talking to the state Department of Ecology about a possible grant to assist in any cleanup.

“We plan to start any site mitigation work late 1st quarter 2015, to be complete for a summer 2015 project construction start.”

“We anticipate construction to take about 20 months, with another two months to get the building commissioned and ready for inmates,” Estvold continued. Opening is scheduled for Spring 2017.