Former jail site near La Honda may become park

It is entirely surrounded by Pescadero Creek Park, Finley said, and would be a great addition to the county’s parks system.

The property, with a creek running through it among redwood trees, would open up to more recreational opportunities if it is repurposed as a park, Finley said.

Existing trails nearby could be expanded into the honor camp property and be available for back country hiking and camping as well, she said.

The Sheriff’s Office has kept control of the property in case it was needed leading up to the opening of the new Maple Street Correctional Center in Redwood City, Supervisor Dave Pine said.

Pine became interested in turning over the land to parks after first visiting it.

“I was intrigued by the possibility it could host overnight camping or even have a lodge,” Pine said.

The property, however, is “incredibly inaccessible,” he said.

“It’s an incredibly beautiful property,” Pine said.

The lack of potable water and the poor condition of the road doesn’t fit well with intensive use, he said.

The property was originally a Boy Scouts camp before it became an unfenced minimum security facility, Finley said.

The Sheriff’s Office would repurpose some of the newer beds at the honor camp for the women’s jail for inmates to use there, said Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Rebecca Rosenblatt.

Since the honor camp is no longer needed as a jail facility, the Sheriff’s Office is exploring what the options might be for the property, Rosenblatt said.

The property is near Camp Glenwood, which is still operated by the county’s Probation Department as an honor camp for male juvenile offenders.

It is near the newly-built Park Gulch Trail that has an old grove of redwoods that has never been harvested, Finley said.

The property has seven buildings on site with a kitchen and outdoor recreation areas with a baseball field and basketball court. It was once able to house 116 inmates, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

bill@smdailyjournal.com

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