“On bended knee” if needed, Crenshaw says

The Oconee Sheriff has given Walhalla the county’s official request for the city to make a zoning exception that would allow a new jail—just to the north side of the existing detention center. At City Hall this morning, Sheriff Mike Crenshaw gave City Administrator Nancy Goehle five pages of completed forms to start a process that likely will end with a vote of Walhalla’s board of zoning appeals. Crenshaw this morning once again expressed confidence that with the safeguards he’s including in the project, neighbors to the new jail will not have to be overly-concerned. Two years ago neighborhood concerns appeared paramount when the board of appeals turned down the county’s request for a special exception to build the jail on the opposite side. If this fails, Crenshaw admits he has no plan “B.” But he told reporters that, if needed, he’ll get down on bended knee to plead his case to the appeals board.