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City council wants to work out CJC differences with county |
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By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
The city of Caledonia is not opposed of having Houston County construct
the proposed 82,000 square foot criminal justice center (CJC) within
the city limits. In fact, according to discussion at the Feb. 11
meeting, all five council members indicated they want to move forward
with the county’s project.
“There’s no question the county needs a new jail and we want to work
with the county board to make it a reality in Caledonia,” Mayor Mike
Morey stated Monday evening. “But it seems unless we remove all zoning
conditions from any potential site, and the city has absolutely no say
as to where the CJC is going to be located, or any of the planning of
it, the county will sue the city. And that’s just not right. The county
has zoning laws and puts conditions on certain or special uses. And
that’s what we’re doing.”
“The city hasn’t been served any papers from the county yet,” City
Attorney Tim Murphy reported. “But it appears the county wants to move
forward with the CJC without any restrictions or conditions,” Murphy
noted.
“The county board voted to begin litigation against the city the
morning they were to meet with us in the afternoon to discuss ways of
making the CJC project work. We met with county representatives in the
afternoon. They never told us they had just instructed their attorney
from the Twin Cities to begin litigation procedures. That action sure
makes it a lot more difficult, but we need to put that behind us and
try to move forward,” Morey added.
“I keep hearing the city doesn’t want the CJC in Caledonia. That’s not
correct” councilman Gary Klug said. “Just because we are opposed to it
being located downtown doesn’t mean we don’t want it in Caledonia.”
Contrary to statements published as a letter to the editor or as a
guest editorial authored by Minneapolis attorney Scott Anderson that
appeared in several area newspapers, the city hasn’t created a myriad
of restrictions for the CJC, according to Murphy.
The city attorney then reviewed the amended permitted uses in I-1
(limited industry district) zones. They include government buildings,
except jails, detention centers, Huber housing, or other facility used
to incarcerate prisoners.
Conditional uses in I-1 zoning districts would include the following:
jail, detention center, Huber housing, or other facility used to
incarcerate prisoners.
Additional language for side yard and rear yard setbacks in I-1
districts dealing with government buildings that contain or have
attached an incarceration facility for prisoners including, but not
limited to jails, detention center, Huber housing, the setback shall be
150 feet from a residential district and 150 feet from elementary or
high school property.
Murphy added the city is looking at requiring 286 parking spaces for
the CJC if it is constructed as a stand alone facility, based on the
latest plans provided by the county, not the 580 spaces as Anderson’s
article stated.
It should be noted the city sent the previous information to the county and to Anderson’s Minneapolis office on January 9.
City Administrator Bob Nelson was asked if other types of facilities or
businesses are listed as conditional uses in the I-1 zoning district.
The city’s current zoning ordinance included more than a dozen.
“It would be irresponsible for any government agency to not have
certain conditions in place for zoning purposes for any type of
business, industry, or residential structure,” Councilman Paul Fisch
added. “I want to work with the county on this and move forward. We
need to sit down with several of the commissioners, without any
attorneys, and work this out.”
Fisch then instructed Nelson contact County Commissioners Ann Thompson
and Larry Graf to see if they would be willing to sit down with Morey
and himself and try to come up with some type of workable
compromises.
You can contact Charlie Warner at
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