Iron County Commission Votes To Approve Property Purchase For New Jail

Iron County Commissioners have selected a sight for a new jail and Iron County Sheriff facilities. Commissioners selected an area south of the Cedar City Regional Airport as the home for the facilities. A vote was held today at the regular meeting of the Iron County Commission. The vote took place following a fourth public hearing on the location. During the public hearing one individual addressed the commission expressing concerns that the public didn't have enough notice about the hearings and about the location itself. Another resident expressed opposition to the location itself. Both people addressing the commission said they felt “blindsided” by the location announcement, and both believed the jail facility was still to be built in the area known as the north interchange location. Commissioners informed the participants that the Cedar City Planning Commission had rejected the county request for a zoning change that would have allowed the jail to be built on that property. One member of the audience expressed confidence that the commission had done their due diligence and thought the location selected would serve the community well and said it was time to get the project going. The commission had also sought comments from residents via email, and the comments that were received were read and included in the public record.

The location is just over 33 acres and according to Commissioner Mike Bleak, it checks off all the requirements they are looking for. You can watch the entire proceeding of today's public hearing by clicking this link. The vote to approve the location happens at approximately one hour fifty eight minutes and fifty seconds in to the video.