Mineral Wells Index, Mineral Wells, TX

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February 13, 2009

ICE facility project heating up

Federal detention facility plans moving forward

By Christin Coyne
ccoyne@mineralwellsindex.com

Emerald Companies will be submitting permitting and zoning plans to the city this week as the next step toward building an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detainee facility in Mineral Wells.

“I see no stumbling blocks or hindrances at this point,” Steve Afeman, chief operating officer of Emerald Companies, said.

The Mineral Wells Industrial Foundation and Emerald Companies entered into an option agreement Jan. 15.

“Basically, they’ve got 90 days to exercise their option … or they don’t get the land,” Industrial Foundation’s Steve Butcher said. “This makes us [feel the project] is moving ahead.”

If Emerald Companies meets the time frame for several milestones for getting funding and finalizing a deal with the city, Butcher said, the land will be theirs to keep.

Emerald Companies approached city officials in early 2007 about building and operating a detention facility for illegal immigrants, where they would be temporarily housed prior to deportation.

After considering renting property from the city on the runway last year, Emerald decided to return to their original plan for the detention center to be built on 60 acres of raw land north of the helipad at Mineral Wells Municipal Airport. The site does not have direct access to the runway.

The land is the last piece of property owned by the Industrial Foundation, which seeks to attract jobs and help Mineral Wells grow, Butcher said, so they are now talking with the city and county about finding more funding.

The city must reach an agreement with ICE to house detainees and will contract out with Emerald Companies.

City Manager Lance Howerton said the city will be looking to broaden the definition of correctional facilities in the zoning ordinance which was adopted in 1998 to encompass how the Corrections Corporation of America pre-parole transfer facility currently operates in Mineral Wells and allow for the detainee detention facility.

The Planning and Zoning Commission will also likely be considering a specific use permit for Emerald Companies’ project at the March 2 meeting, Howerton said.



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