Prison Issue
February 3,2009 — NOTE: This issue is over with. I am archiving this page data, for history’s sake, here.
Private Prison Issue from December 2008
Do you want a PRISON in YOUR BACKYARD ??
That’s exactly what MAY happen, if we don’t put a stop to it!
What’s going on?: A developer is asking the City to rezone a 45 acre parcel of land very, very close to your home. They are asking for a “special use permit” that will allow them to build a “private detention center” (a prison that will house 200-300 inmates…both men and women) on that property!
The developer is required by law to notify only property owners living within 185 feet of the borders of this site about this proposal. We believe that this is way-too-few people to warn about a change in the way this property is zoned and used!
Where is the property?: See the map below. This parcel of land is bordered by, 18th Street on the north, Blue Ridge Blvd. on the west, Brookside on the east, and it goes almost all the way to 23rd Street on the south (which is extremely close to a new residential development that is going on there right now!). Much of the property is sloped and covered with trees. A TV tower, a cemetery and several residential homes border it.
The prison / detention center will be built on a 14 acre site at the north end of the 45 acre property. Operation of the detention center will be sub-contracted out to a 3rd party. Prisoners will be transported in to this detention center from all over the KC Metro area. A perimeter of two razor-wire fences and lots of lights will surround the 14 acre site.
Why the “Neighbors of Winner Road Association” is against this proposal:
1) A new prison in Western Independence would be a huge step backwards from all the forward progress we’ve made here recently! The entire City of Independence has been working hard to build up the West side. We’ve been fighting to improve our schools (“Extreme Makeover”, bringing 7 new schools into the Independence School District), our infrastructure (including the 353 Tax Abatement program), social services, and other elements of life in Western Independence, because we want to make it a better place to raise families! Putting a detention center here works directly against this goal.
2) This prison would add to an already-maxed-out workload for the Independence police, which would result in even lower police service-levels to the entire city of Independence! This facility will rely on the Independence Police Department for “back up” whenever there are problems such as escapees, riots, etc. The Independence Police are already strapped for manpower. (In June of 2007, an independent study suggested the City add 55 positions to strengthen the Police Department! This has not happened.)
3) Lots of perimeter lights and two razor-wire fences do NOT constitute a building that is “well designed to fit discretely into the neighborhood”.
4) A MINIMUM of 1-3 prisoners “walk-away” every year from the Kansas City Correctional Institute (a similar local facility). That’s right! They walk away into the surrounding neighborhoods and disappear! We don’t want this happening in OUR neighborhood!
5) The new Rock Creek recreational walking trail will run along the eastern border of this property. Do we really want to put a prison where citizens will be routinely walking either alone or as couples?
6) While we realize that detention centers are necessary, we believe they should be surrounded by fields and farmland (such as one might find along 210 highway)… NOT neighborhoods!
“What can I do to stop this property from being rezoned? How can I stop them from putting a prison there?”:
1) This is the most critical thing you can do!!: Attend the City Planning Commission Meeting regarding this proposal: January 13th, 6:30 PM. The meeting will be held at City Hall, at 111 E. Maple, in the Council Chambers. Be prepared to at least state your name and where you live and that you want to go on the official record as being AGAINST the rezoning and alteration in planned use for this property!
2) Call or mail a letter stating your opinion to the following City officials:
 Don Reimal Mayor Office: 325-7027 Home: 461-6044 dreimal@indepmo.org |
 Marcie Gragg 1st District City Councilwoman Office: 325-7022 Home: 461-2717 mgragg@indepmo.org |
 Lucy Young At-large City Councilwoman Office: 325-7022 Home: 795-8921 Lucy.listens@gmail.com |
 Jim Schultz At-large City Councilman Office: 365-7022 Home: N/A jschultz@indepmo.org |
 Jim Page 4th District City Councilman Office: 325-7022 Home: 252-1198 Email: N/A Note: This new prison will be on the border of Mr. Page’s district, which is why we are including him here. |
 Robert HeacockOffice: 325-7019 Home: N/A City Manager rheacock@indepmo.org |
The Planning Commission will make a recommendation one way or the other regarding this proposal to the City Council. But it is the City Council who will have the final say in this matter.
3) Help us get the word out about this to your neighbors! Yes, we’re delivering this informationin the form of a flyer… door-to-door, but we’re only a few brave souls (in this cold weather) and we only have so-much time and paper. Please tell your friends and neighbors as soon as possible!
4) Stay in-touch with us! If they decide to move this meeting back, they are only required to notify those property owners who live within 185 feet of the property. So we will have to pay close attention and quickly contact each other if the situation changes. Also, rumor has it that the applicant will hold a public meeting about this proposal one week prior to the Planning Commission meeting.
We have created a special email mailing list for this issue: noprison@winnerneighbors.org We intend to use that email mailing list to quickly communicate with only those people who are very interested in this issue. To subscribe to this email mailing list, fill out and submit the subscription form that is on this page.
* NEWS FLASH 01/05/09 *
We received word late yesterday that the developer has been distributing a flyer that announces a public meeting on this issue this coming Saturday!!:
| NOTICE Public Hearing Scheduled by John Carnes, Attorney for Metropolitan Detention Center TOPIC MEETING LOCATION: DATE & TIME: All property owners and/or residents of the area neighborhood are invited to attend this hearing. The meeting will be informal. For more information about this project call 816-833-4200 between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. |
* NEW *
I finally had time to scan the above document and turn it into a downloadable version for you: Public Meeting Flyer (PDF Format)
* NEWS FLASH 01/07/09 *
We believe we have finally identified the person behind this property rezoning request.
Although the application for rezoning submitted by their lawyer, John Carnes, says that the company behind this is:
Turkey Ridge Development LLC.
The actual name of the company as registered with the state is:
“Turkey Ridge Development Inc.” owned by:
John M. Gibson
28708 E. Lone Jack
Lee’s Summit, MO 64086.
Related Documents
The actual rezoning application that the developer has submitted to the City Planning Dept.
Flyer of this Info (for door-to-door delivery in the neighborhoods):
MS Word format PDF format
Here is a Google Map showing where we have already delivered these “No Prison Flyers” in our neighborhood. We are using this map to track where we still need to deliver.
Initial Article on this in the Independence Examiner (December 24th — Merry Christmas, eh?)
Here is a PDF of a plat-map of the property.
Also, here is a black-and-white aerial photo of the property.
Other Resources
A resource packet created by “South Texans Opposing Private Prisons”. Describes how the assumption that new prisons provide an economic boost to the local community is, in fact, false. Gives additional info about the financing of such jails and controversies and scandals that these prisons have brought to Texas.