This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Legislature will vote Wednesday on a plan to build a new state prison in Salt Lake City.
Gov. Gary Herbert announced the call for a special session Friday, just three days after the Prison Relocation Commission voted unanimously to move the prison to private land west of the Salt Lake City International Airport. The other potential locations were in Grantsville, Eagle Mountain and Fairfield.
Before the project can move forward, the Legislature must pass a resolution and Herbert must sign it, steps seen largely as perfunctory in what has been an emotionally charged debate over shifting the state's main lockup out of Draper.
"People are real comfortable moving forward," said Rep. Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, co-chairman of the commission. "We have spent enough time and resources on this to make a good, thorough decision."
Rep. Sandra Hollins, D-Salt Lake City, who represents the area under consideration, has no expectation the Legislature will reject the plan. Still, she intends to use the debate to explain the anger felt on the capital's west side.
"They feel that their voice is not being heard, that they are being ignored," said Hollins, citing a failed development plan at the state Fairpark. "I'm going to scream loud and clear that I am as frustrated as my constituents."
Rep. Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, says the west side already houses a parole-violator center and halfway houses.
"It is the perception of our community, here on the western end of the city, that we are disposable," she said, noting that the area is highly diverse and is not as economically strong as some other areas of the state.
"What is the message to our kids?" she asked.
Wilson said he's sorry some perceive the prison move as a slight to the west side. He argues the prison would be located far from any residential area, would bring jobs and likely spur more development in the city's Northwest Quadrant.
"I expected that some communities," he said, "would see this for what I believe it is, which is a big opportunity."
But Hollins and city leaders, including Mayor Ralph Becker, don't see it that way. They expect the prison to scare away some businesses and eat into the taxable land available to the city.
"If it is such a good thing," Hollins said, "why did they not advocate [moving the prison] to their community?"
The commission included five Republicans and two Democrats, who favored the Salt Lake City site because of its close proximity to volunteers, courts and hospitals, though they acknowledged that this site would be the most expensive on which to build. That's because the land between the airport and the Great Salt Lake has soft soil and is dotted with wetlands.
If the Legislature and governor sign off as expected, the city may consider an environmental lawsuit to slow or block the project, an effort Hollins would support.
Right now, the state estimates the project would take at least three years and cost at least $550 million, though that price tag is likely to increase as the environmental and geotechnical reviews move forward.
The special session will touch on a few other technical issues, including corporate tax overpayments, the Medicaid inspector general and gubernatorial appointments.
Twitter: @mattcanham