City councilman challenges height of proposed jail

An architectural rendering of the proposed new jail for Richmond shows the six-story facility rising above the nearby bluff that's home to Mosby Court and other East End neighborhoods.

With the Richmond City Council scheduled to vote Monday on a $116.5 million contract for the jail, Councilman Bruce W. Tyler said he's struggling to reconcile the image with the city's instructions to the four groups that pursued the project.

In January, a supporting document to the city's request for proposals stated, "No construction shall exceed the highest grade elevation along the property line separating the jail site and the adjoining residential community."

Tyler said that given the statement and its intent to calm the concerns of nearby residents, he cannot understand how the city is now willing to accept the 101-foot, 4-inch height being proposed by Tompkins/Ballard Joint Venture of Washington.

"Something's going on here," said Tyler, who also is questioning whether Tompkins/Ballard will be able to deliver on its commitment to use minority-owned vendors for more than half of the jail project.

In response to questions about the jail's height, Mayor Dwight C. Jones' administration referred to a Feb. 4 addendum to the request for proposals. It clarified that the city was interested in a midrise design, not a low- to midrise design, as initially stated.

"The addendum effectively eliminates the prescriptive requirement and conflicting information prohibiting a building higher than the bluff, and clarified that a midrise design approach will be the qualifier," said Tammy D. Hawley, the mayor's press secretary.

Tyler said the city may be able to legally accept the height revisions but said, in doing so, it would be backing off a commitment made to the nearby Eastview community "to keep the building below the height of the bluff."

City Attorney Allen L. Jackson said he was unable to address a reporter's question about the legalities issue because it might be raised by a member of the council or the city administration.

Architect James Kessler of HOK, which is part of the Tompkins/Ballard team, confirmed the submitted renderings as accurate and said the group ultimately devised a faster, cheaper way to address community concerns about the jail's height. Tompkins/Ballard is proposing to plant evergreen trees to augment the wooded buffer between the jail site and nearby homes.

"We felt ultimately this met the needs of the city," Kessler said. "We did take a chance."

The Jones administration and 6th District Councilwoman Ellen F. Robertson have spent recent months trying to ease concerns of nearby residents about the jail project. In a letter this month, the Eastview Civic League emphasized its willingness to continue working with the city but reiterated its concerns about the jail's size, design and location.

"The building is pushed too deeply into the hillside and we did not expect it to be higher than the second floor of the apartments above," civic league officials Edward Shearn and Obadiah White wrote. "This solution does have some impact on the value and development potential of the public and privately owned parcels above."

They forwarded a list of 20 suggestions for the site and asked that the jail be limited to two or three stories and be made to look more like an office building with a brick exterior.

In an interview, Shearn said the civic league does not plan to ask the council to reject Tompkins/Ballard's proposal in part because the mayor and council have committed to a broader revitalization and blight-reduction plan for Eastview.

Tyler said the residents are in a tough spot. "I think they're afraid to say anything and, at the same time, they want to."

He's pushing for the council to delay Monday's vote, which would authorize Chief Administrative Officer Byron C. Marshall to execute the proposed agreement for the design and construction of the jail. Councilman E. Martin Jewell also has called for postponement in light of concerns raised in a limited review by City Auditor Umesh V. Dalal.

Administration officials have said a vote is needed Monday to ensure a contract can be finalized by a Sept. 15 deadline. They said the proposal by Tompkins/Ballard represents the cheapest and best approach to building a 1,032-bed jail that could hold as many as 1,680 inmates with double-bunking. The existing jail was built in the 1960s for 880 inmates but regularly holds 1,500. With the new jail, the city is developing programs to provide alternatives.

Of the eight council members reached in recent days, only Tyler said he had spent time reviewing procurement documents related to the jail project that are publicly unavailable. Administration officials said the records cannot be released until a contract is signed.

Councilman Charles R. Samuels said he was told the documents were unavailable when he tried to schedule an appointment, and Councilman Chris A. Hilbert said he hopes to review them Monday. Several others said they had not followed up because they lack the expertise to understand the minutia of the procurement process.

The council members also appear divided on how to proceed. Hilbert said he's leaning toward a delay, but Council President Kathy C. Graziano said a decision to vote or not probably won't come until Monday afternoon's docket-review session.

"I would think we would have much discussion on it," she said. "We'll see what comes out of that."

Councilman Charles R. Samuels said he's undecided on whether the project is ready for a vote. Robertson said Friday that she was not prepared to comment on the jail in light of several outstanding legal questions. Councilwoman Cynthia I. Newbille could not be reached.

Councilman Douglas G. Conner Jr. said he's prepared to support the contract and added that the council's six-week review had not uncovered any major concerns.

"We've chewed it over as best as humanly can be expected for anyone on council," he said.

But Councilwoman Reva M. Trammell said she appreciates Tyler's questions and is frustrated by the push for a vote.

"Why didn't we have all this before the last minute?" she asked. "How do you vote when you don't have all the answers?"