Complex Near Jail Not a Bad Idea : Golf Course, Hotel Plan Next to Pitchess Just Need Research

On the surface, the idea sounds downright crazy: Put a golf course, hotel and conference center right next door to the Pitchess Detention Center near Castaic--a place known more for brawls than birdies. But that’s the straight-faced proposal from Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, who figures such a project just might help raise some revenue for the cash-strapped county.

In fact, Antonovich’s proposal is a pretty good idea--albeit one that needs several serious questions answered before it can move forward. The idea is not Antonovich’s. Former Supervisor Warren M. Dorn first suggested a similar project next to the sprawling jail complex more than 20 years ago. It was revived a few weeks ago during a chat between the past and present supervisors.

The concept is simple: Put idle county-owned land to work. The execution of the concept, though, will be anything but simple. The first questions neighbors will no doubt ask are how big would the complex be and how much traffic would it generate? How well could existing roads such as the Golden State Freeway accommodate visitors to the site?

Also unclear is how the project would be financed and built. It’s unlikely that the county would build the complex itself, so it would need to turn to private developers for some sort of partnership. Dorn said he knows at least eight people who want to make bids on the site. No doubt. But how much of a share would a private developer demand? And how much of the cash would actually flow back to the county? The county makes money from its 18 existing golf courses, but using them as models for the kind of project proposed by Antonovich is misleading.

Then there are concerns over safety. Although escapes at the jail are rare, they do happen. In 1995, for instance, 14 inmates slipped out by removing pieces of the ceiling. Two were never caught. How would risks to recreational visitors be minimized?

These are the sort of questions supervisors should ask in January when Antonovich plans to bring the proposal before the board. We support the responsible use of county property to earn a little extra cash. The danger here is that the deal may end up a hole-in-one for some private developer, but a double bogey for the public.