Comment on Penobscot County again says it will redesign proposed jail after 8-story building plan is criticized

Penobscot County commissioners will “take a pause in the process” of planning a new county jail after hearing criticism from the public about the proposal for an eight-story, 250-bed jail they introduced last week. Chairman Peter Baldacci said Tuesday afternoon that commissioners would look at a possible redesign of the building after hearing criticism from the public about the height and size of the 116,879-square-foot standalone building, estimated to cost $65 to $70 million. As part of the pause, county commissioners no longer plan to put a referendum question on the June ballot to ask voters to fund the new jail. “We are looking at putting a referendum on the November ballot,” Baldacci said.