By Christin Coyne
ccoyne@mineralwellsindex.com
Emerald Company’s specific use permit application has been tabled while other locations for the proposed Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center are considered, according to City Manager Lance Howerton.
“We have begun to look at other alternatives and options … for the site,” Howerton said.
Mayor Mike Allen has postponed taking any action on the specific use permit application, including the public hearing that was scheduled for Tuesday, according to Howerton.
The specific use permit application might come up before the council to take action on at a later date or, if another agreeable site is found, Emerald may decide to withdraw the current application, Howerton said.
“Any alternative [site] we look at this point will have to be acquired,” Howerton said.
Emerald Correction Management entered into a 90-day option agreement in January with the Industrial Foundation to purchase almost 62 acres northeast of the Mineral Wells Municipal Airport to buy the land for $1 per acre.
Emerald plans to build a 1,000-bed detention facility to house ICE detainees on the property.
A hearing on the specific use permit application was held March 17 after which council member Chris Crawford moved to table the application so a public hearing could be held.
The city council meeting scheduled for Tuesday has also been cancelled due to lack of agenda items, according to Howerton.
