County sets meetings for potential jail sites
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Island County leaders are looking at three possible locations for construction of a new jail and they want to know which one residents prefer.
The county will host public meetings in March to provide the community with information about the potential sites and answer questions as part of ongoing efforts to replace the current jail, which was built in 1972 and has deficiencies identified in an independent assessment last year.
All three of the potential construction sites are on county-owned properties. Under the current proposal, the new jail would be about 56,000 square feet with an adjacent 18,600-square-foot juvenile detention facility.
The first option is a property at 3137 North Oak Harbor Road, which is the current site of the solid waste transfer site north of the city of Oak Harbor. A second option is a property at Northwest First Street in Coupeville, adjacent to the Human Services Building.
A third option is razing and rebuilding at the site of the current Island County annex building at 1 NE 6th St. in Coupeville. The building houses the jail, the juvenile detention facility, the planning department and the commissioners’ hearing room.
“These meetings are about transparency and community engagement,” Sheriff Rick Felici said in a press release. “We want residents to understand the challenges facing the current facility, review the three site options and have the opportunity to ask questions and share their perspectives.”
Each meeting will include a brief presentation followed by time for questions and discussion. Materials from the feasibility study, including information about the three potential sites, will be available for review, according to a press release.
The scheduled meetings are as follows:
From 5:30-7 p.m., on Thursday, March 5 at 121 E. Camano Drive on Camano Island.
From 9:30-11 a.m., on Saturday, March 7 at the commissioners hearing room at 1 NE 6th Street in Coupeville.
From 5:30-7 p.m., on Thursday, March 12 at Freeland Hall at 1515 E. Shoreview Drive in Freeland.
From 6-7:30 p.m., on Thursday, March 19 at The Center at 51 SE Jerome St. in Oak Harbor.
From 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, March 21 at 121 E. Camano Drive on Camano Island.
Island County commissioners and the sheriff’s office started the process of looking at ways to repair and improve the jail facility more than two years ago.
The county selected CGL Management Group and local architect KMD to guide the process by interviewing stakeholders, assessing the facility and the future needs, analyzing potential sites and creating a cost estimate.
A year ago, the county released a study created by the firm that concluded the only real solution to the problems is to build a new jail. The report points out the facility is nearing capacity, infrastructure is crumbling, there isn’t enough space for programs and the layout itself is from days past. In addition, the electrical system in the building is especially problematic and outdated; the space isn’t ADA compliant; an emergency generator is beyond its useful life; and the jail lacks daylight and is configured for indirect supervision.
Additional information about the proposed sites can be found on https://islandcountywa.gov/crcproject.
