You and I disagree about this, Kevin.

The Palmer gravel pit site upset a few NIMBYs who could not have even seen it from their houses. The state could have taken their properties by eminent domain, but they didn't need it. There was no encroachment. 

Both the Knowles and Murkowski administrations wanted to expand regional jails from Lemon Creek to Bethel. That would have kept inmates closer to home which has a huge effect in reducing recidivism, keeps defendants closer to counsel, eliminates the endless escorted transports, etc.  

The proposed Palmer jail was appropriately scaled. Instead, Barbie and Schmidt scrapped plans, building in the boondocks where no infrastructure existed. The Knik road is treacherous in the winter, it's miles from available labor. 

No one fought shipping prisoners thousands of miles from home more than I did, starting when Weimar's partner Prewitt wanted to send them to Texas in 1994. I passed out 50 copies of the Miller-Holt recidivism study to kill it.