Public pressure crushed detention center

The announcement Thursday that the Tohono O’odham Nation is backing off on plans to build a detention center north of Sahuarita brought sighs of relief and handshakes across town.

The tribe and its San Xavier District will seek a more remote site and will work with other communities to pursue “positive economic development opportunities,” according to a press release sent out late in the day.

Sandario Road and Ajo Way in the northwestern part of the District has been mentioned as a possible site.

The decision to abandon the location near Sahuarita came after officials of the Tohono O’odham Nation took an active role. Until then, SXD Chairman Austin Nunez said the project and location were up to the District, and that public appeals to the Nation would not affect the project.

But there was no denying that public opposition played a role in the surprise decision.

The story was receiving statewide publicity and pressure was growing from Rancho Sahuarita residents, who said the 750-bed, privately operated federal facility would threaten their safety and property values, and pose noise, traffic and lighting issues.

They quickly banded together and collected hundreds of signatures, wrote letters, contacted government officials, attended meetings, set up a Web site and talked about a boycott of the Nation’s casinos. A protest was planned for Saturday outside the Desert Diamond Casino, and a public meeting set up next week by the District promised to be eventful.

Several organizations, including the influential Green Valley Community Coordinating Council, came out against the detention facility in recent days. The town Council was to vote on a resolution condemning the facility May 26.

“When people are protecting their homes it gives them a whole new kind of energy,” said Linda Cooper, a Rancho Sahuarita homeowner who helped lead the drive. “I’m really proud of all my neighbors, that nobody gave up.”

Sahuarita Mayor Lynne Skelton said she was pleased with the news and hoped the town and the tribe could work together on economic development possibilities. She said the tribe has plenty of land available for development and the town may bring other resources to the table. She added that Town Economic Development Manager Kathy Ward would be available to work on joint projects with the tribe.

Sudden reversal

The District had proposed a site less than a mile north of Sahuarita. Thursday’s announcement said the reversal “comes after an extensive public review process with both the Tohono O’odham Nation and surrounding communities.”

A press release said, in part, “The decision was finalized at a meeting that included San Xavier District representatives, the Tohono O’odham Legislative Council and Chairman Ned Norris Jr. At the meeting, leaders voiced their support for identifying positive economic development opportunities in cooperation with regional planning efforts.

Norris said in the release, “The Nation strongly supports economic development and is committed to diversifying the Nation’s economy with projects that provide jobs and opportunities for Nation’s members and nonmembers alike. We are equally committed to pursuing economic development opportunities that compliment and expand the regional and southern Arizona economies.”

Nunez said in the release, “We appreciate the leadership role the Tohono O’odham Nation has taken in this process and its commitment to economic development in the San Xavier District. At a more suitable site, the federal detention center will bring hundreds of new jobs and millions of dollars in positive economic impacts to the area.”

Nunez had earlier said the location was not negotiable because private investors would only finance the chosen site, and the District ruled out three others because of utilities and road access. Election issue

The investors approached the Nation several years ago after tribal officials testified before Congress about illegal immigrants overrunning the area, and the Nation referred the investors to the District.

The facility is an economic development project of the District intended to provide jobs and possibly lead to establishment of nearby businesses, such as a restaurant or convenience store and eventually a business park.

The proposal became a Sahuarita Town Council election issue when it was revealed that town officials, including all council members, knew many details about the proposal last fall, even though it was not disclosed to the public until April, about 10 days after the town received a letter from the District seeking comment.

Nunez mentioned the proposal casually to Skelton in October and town staff collected many details and sent them to council members on Nov. 12, though they were not able to get anything in writing from the District until this spring.