Hailey Police Department will move out of downtown core
By Jean Jacques Bohl
Last month, the Hailey City Council approved moving the Hailey Police Department to the Idaho National Guard Armory, located at 701 South 4th Avenue, next to Roberta McKercher Park. The vote was unanimous. The Hailey Police Department currently shares space with Hailey City Hall on the second floor of the Fox Building, at 115 South Main Street in Hailey. The move is planned for May 1, 2017. The Guard will relocate to another facility outside of Blaine County.
“It is a great opportunity,” said Jeff Gunter, Hailey police chief and 24-year HPD veteran. “The building is pretty much ready. We are happy that the building is on the ground floor. There are more parking spaces. Moving from downtown will free more parking spaces for the Hailey Library. Everybody is positive about it.”
The Hailey Police Department employees 12 officers and uses five reserved parking spots. There are no plans for a holding cell in the new facility, which is also the case at their current location.
The previous police station, near the Blaine County Courthouse, on South 2nd Avenue, had a pink elephant painted on the wall of the holding cell.
News of the move has drawn mixed reactions from businesses in the current neighborhood downtown.
“It is better for the community,” said Aaron Hughston, a Hailey resident and owner of Tamarack Sports. “They can secure their cars in the back parking lot.”
Copy & Print owner Jeff Bertz echoed that sentiment.
“It’s a good move for them,” he said. “Having a ground level will be good.”
Employees of the Hailey Public Library, which occupies the ground floor of the Fox Building, said they look forward to utilizing those extra parking spaces. However, a few neighbors see a different side to the situation.
“We will miss the surveillance,” said Richard Castillo, an employee at Lago Azul Mexican restaurant, catty-corner to the HPD. “We would rather have them here than gain five parking spots. We’ll also miss their business.”
The Armory was upgraded with security features in 2013. It is the home of a 17-guardsmen unit of the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team, the largest formation of the Idaho Army National Guard.
The Idaho Army National Guard will consolidate local guard facilities into what are known as Regional Readiness Centers across the state. The Hailey-based guards will move to a station in Twin Falls County just north of the Perrine Bridge.
Hailey City Administrator Heather Dawson said the Idaho Army National Guard will retain the right to occupy the building for nine years and, if necessary, could share the space with the Hailey Police Department under a governor’s order.
The new location’s lease is $3,700 per year, for a period of five years.
While being used by the National Guard, the Armory was also put to use at various times for community events, such as the Festival of Trees, Halloween festivities, the Trailing of the Sheep Festival’s quilt show, Idaho’s Bounty food pick-up and antique fairs.
“We’re working on a policy right now that would allow the community to use it without compromising the police work,” Dawson said.