By Diana McFarland

Managing editor

The Isle of Wight County Board of Supervisors plans to discuss the terms of its property transfer to the state for a youth correctional center at a work session on Thursday.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the courthouse complex. 

A preliminary list of considerations include limiting the number of beds to 72, restricting the property to a juvenile facility only, aesthetics of the fence and what happens if the facility closes, among others.  

The proposed 20-acre site for the correctional facility is located about two miles south of Route 460 along Route 258 and is part of Phase III of the county’s intermodal/industrial park. The property is owned by Isle of Wight County.

While the Board voted 3-2 to convey the land in February, the deal still requires that certain terms be worked out between the county and the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice. 

The proposed juvenile facility, for incarcerated youth age 14-21, has been met with a tremendous amount of opposition from residents of Windsor and the southern end of the county. 

Most of the concerns center around safety, the impact on property values and quality of life and what benefits the county is to receive from the project.

The project calls for a 60-bed residential facility. Isle of Wight County is donating the land, as well as $500,000 for water and sewer lines to be run to the property. The state, in turn, will pay the remaining cost for the utilities, which will be able to be used by residential and commercial customers along its route.  {/mprestriction}