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Town Hall at edge of road could be due for move
(by Joan Demirjian - February 24, 2010)
Town Hall at edge of road could be due for move
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
Russell's historic Town Hall should be moved to a safer location, away from heavy truck traffic, according to one resident.
Chuck Campbell questioned whether plans are being made to move Town Hall at Kinsman (Route 87) and Chillicothe (Route 306) roads from the intersection.
The septic system is failing, and a sewer line is being planned for the area, he said. Something should be planned for Town Hall before the sewer work starts, Mr. Campbell said.
It would provide for a safer situation if the hall were moved from the corner, he said. "I would say, with the truck traffic, sooner or later something's going to happen."
Town Hall was built in 1850 and embodies the longtime history and development of the township. The township's first police department once used the front office space.
Trustees met at the hall for many years before moving their regular meetings from the building to the meeting room at the new fire station. The old hall with its high ceilings was not favorable to acoustics. However, community groups still use it for meetings and events.
Trustee James Dickinson said it always has been assumed the state will someday widen Chillicothe Road and take township property. Money from the state would be used to move Town Hall, he said.
It could be moved to the site of the old police station, which was torn down, directly to the west. Or it could be moved next to the new police and fire stations, north of Kinsman Road.
The state has not talked recently about widening the road, so trustees have not actively discussed the hall's relocation, Mr. Dickinson said. When the road is widened, the township would move the hall, he said.
While the hall's current location is not good, there is more safe parking now that the old police station building has been removed.
"It is not a high-priority item at this time," Mr. Dickinson said.
Trustee James Mueller said the cost of moving Town Hall could be as much as $200,000. "I think we should sit tight until we are told to move it," he said. It could be moved back to the site of the old police station, he said.
The relocation of Town Hall was part of the long-term facilities plan for the 6-acre parcel the township bought for the new police and fire stations, according to former Trustee Christina Livers, a Russell Historical Society member.
The township bought the 6-acre parcel from the West Geauga School District. It was the site of the old Russell School.
"What has to be taken into consideration is that it is so close to the intersection, and trucks are going by so fast," Mrs. Livers said.
On one occasion, a plaque on the interior south wall of Town Hall vibrated off the wall when a truck went by, she said.
"In the long run, it would be the best way to preserve Town Hall," Mrs. Livers said of relocating the building.
And if it is going to be moved, it should be moved next to the new police station, she said.
"It would allow space for nice landscaping and for history to have a home base," Mrs. Livers said. While the hall already houses historical society displays, it could be used more extensively for a museum, she said.
"It would be in a safe place and out of danger of traffic," Mrs. Livers said.
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