Can the Jail Be Built in the Chocowinity Industrial Park? | Eastern North Carolina Now

    My Dad and I have developed a number of pieces of property in Beaufort County over the years. As any Realtor will tell you, location is the key to success. I agree with that position because I look at school districts, proximity to shopping, and distance from a particular town or city when choosing a piece of property to buy.

    There are other considerations too. Availability of water is usually not a concern here, but electrical installation costs are a big variable. I have to decide if I want to run the power underground or overhead, and I have to know how far the main power source will be from the residence. Making the wrong decision could cost thousands of dollars.

    Then, there is the septic tank problem. I have to determine if the soil will support the type of system I want to install in a favorable location for a home. In this county, septic tanks may cost as little as $2,500.00 or as much as $10,000.00. This impacts the cost of development significantly.

    How does this relate to building a jail? The Chocowinity Industrial Park is not a bad location. It does not flood and is near a major highway which is close to Chocowinity. There are certainly other logical and emotional considerations that impact the suitability of this particular location that could be discussed for another fifteen years.

    I want to focus on the waste water issue the Town of Chocowinity, the City of Washington and the county will face. Building such an expensive structure requires the buy-in of all the stakeholders. Without this cooperation, avoidable mistakes will be made.

    Councilman Doug Mercer brought the waste water issue to my attention last night at the City Council Candidate Forum. I am writing this from memory today, so any figure I use will be close but not exact. Councilman Mercer is credited with the research and can provide more detailed and specific information and numbers.

    The Town of Chocowinity can only pump a finite number of gallons of waste water with the present pumping infrastructure in place. By contract, there is also a finite number of gallons per day the City of Washington will accept at the waste water treatment facility from the south side of the river.

    Hospitals or related facilities use 320 gallons per bed as a multiplier for calculating costs and/or usage. Councilman Mercer looked at the current jail facility and determined 120 gallons per bed could be used for general calculations.

    Building a jail at the Chocowinity Industrial Park will move Chocowinity closer to the maximum number of gallons the present equipment can handle. This will also reduce future development of private property unless the infrastructure is changed.

    Also, the City of Washington has to agree to accept the proposed increase of waste water if the total number of gallons exceeds the present contract between the municipalities. The City of Washington must also determine if the present equipment is sufficient with room for future development on the north side of the river.

    Another concern is the pipe that carries the waste water from Chocowinity to Washington. It runs under the river, and if another pipe has to be added to accommodate the additional flow, officials must consider this cost in their calculations and proposals.

    I would like to see the logistical problems of a particular site settled before the Commissioners draw battle lines and defend a location that may not be suitable. After engineers and officials look at the Chocowinity Industrial Park closer, they may determine it actually is the best location for a jail.

    Discussions, without name calling, would help move this process forward. The Commissions must seek input from other elected officials or this project will remain stagnant and ultimately fail.

     Republican Candidate for Sheriff of Beaufort County