Board OKs $44-Million County Jail Near Border

San Diego County supervisors Tuesday approved construction of a $44-million jail and honor camp on East Mesa, but not before trading charges over whether it was the best site available or was selected for reasons of political expediency.

The final vote on the issue was 4-1, with Supervisor Brian P. Bilbray voting against it. Bilbray, whose supervisorial district is in the southern part of the county, suggested that the board settled on East Mesa, which lies east of Otay Mesa and south of Lower Otay Reservoir, because members caved in to community opposition to three other sites that had been considered.

Bilbray called the three rejected sites “sacred cows not addressed by the board.”

Earlier this year the county favored building the jail in Santee, adjacent to the Los Colinas County Jail for women, but the idea encountered stiff opposition from Santee residents and officials. The other sites previously considered were on Navy land near Miramar Naval Air Station and on a county-owned block in downtown San Diego.

“We seem to be functioning under a crisis situation. This crisis does exist, but precedent has been set on eliminating sites throughout the county based on community opposition,” Bilbray said. “ . . . Until such time that the board is prepared to address these sacred cows, I will not support this.”

East County Supervisor George Bailey wondered why Bilbray was concerned about the new jail site if it is in Bailey’s district, which already has eight other jails and honor camps.

“If there were a lot of sacred cows, there was a lot of bull also,” Bailey said.

The new jail will be located about 7 miles east of Interstate 805 and 1 1/2 miles north of the Mexican border. “That part of the world” is already beset by problems, Bilbray said, including illegal dumping of hazardous wastes, sewage spills and a new state prison that is scheduled to be completed in November.

“It (the new county jail) is a great site, except for the accumulative impact,” Bilbray said.

Although the area around the jail is desolate, unpopulated and crisscrossed with canyons, Bilbray said he is concerned that the image of Otay and East Mesa would be irreparably damaged.

“I’m concerned by the perception of the public that it’s easier to place this site at the south end of the county. I’m concerned of the public perception that south county is being used as a whipping boy . . . because no one would accept it (new jail) in another part of the county,” Bilbray said.

Despite Bilbray’s opposition, the matter was quickly discussed and passed without any public discussion.

Supervisors decided on the new jail after Sheriff John Duffy asked them in February to declare an emergency because of overcrowding at the county’s six jails. The jails are designed to hold 2,315 inmates but are currently holding more than 3,600.

Chief Administrative Officer Norman Hickey recommended that the county buy or lease the 500-acre East Mesa site to be used for a 600-bed jail and 250-bed honor ranch. The county would be responsible for coming up with $10 million of the $44-million estimated cost of the new jail.

The rest of the financing will come from a statewide bond measure approved by voters in June for the construction of new jails.