A businessman’s appeal will force the Aurora City Council to review approval of an immigration detention-center expansion.
In a letter dated April 18, Anthony Paradiso, owner of the property at 3171 Oakland St. that houses Camp Bow Wow, questioned the unanimous approval by the Planning Commission to allow Florida-based GEO Group to build a 1,500-bed facility near East 30th Avenue and Peoria Street. The proposal was approved April 9.
Paradiso wrote that his greatest concern was the lack of a contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the expanded center. GEO currently owns and operates a 400-bed center on the site that is under contract by ICE.
“Has the city addressed a plan for safety in the event a detention facility does not come through and this is a corrections facility?” Paradiso wrote.
Paradiso also wrote that the plan would negatively impact city infrastructure through increased traffic and “insufficient waiting space” for visitors.
Had the appeal not been received, final approval for the expansion would have been automatically granted based on the Planning Commission decision and without a City Council review.
“I hesitate to say this is a delay or not a delay,” said Gabrielle Johnston, spokeswoman for the city. “It adds a process to our process, but it’s all within the normal process.”
The council will use the same planning-and-zoning criteria used by the Planning Commission to review the proposal at its regular meeting June 2, Johnston said.
Chandra Russo, public-awareness coordinator for the Colorado Immigration Rights Coalition, said her organization has been working with Paradiso, who lives in Florida, to keep him informed on the issue.
CIRC has been actively involved in protesting the expansion, saying such detention centers are inhumane.
“We’re very excited this is going to come before the full City Council,” Russo said. “In our opinion, the Planning Commission wasn’t thinking of community impact because they believed that sort of thought was outside its scope.
“We’re certain the City Council won’t view it that way.”
Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier: 303-954-1661 or jsteltonholtmeier@
