Forsyth residents rally against jail

Local residents gathered in the Wyngate Subdivision off Veterans Memorial Boulevard Aug. 18 to protest the proposed location for a new Forsyth County Jail.

Voters will decide on the $90 million total investment ($75 million for the detention center and $16 million for the Sheriff's Office) this November.

Trenna Gordon and her husband, Jeff, helped coordinate the Aug. 18 event along with other homeowners.

"I think we had a good turnout," she said. "It was mostly homeowners."

Gordon said the primary concerns of most local residents are property values and safety issues.

"The county owns a significant portion of land elsewhere in the county they could build this jail," she said. "I think we will be able to hear the inmates. You can see it from the Cumming Fairgrounds. I think this will affect shopping. I heard one person say, 'Suwanee builds a town center, Cumming builds a jail.'"

Gordon said she understands the need for the jail to be close to the courthouse.

"But I think they could have picked a location a little farther away," she said. "Our ultimate goal is to get people to vote 'no' for the jail this November. I think the more people that know about it, the more people will vote. There is other land in the county to consider."

The group has created a Web site at www.movethejail.org.
- www.northfulton.com

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