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Public funding eyed for cabin on square
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - July 09, 2012)
Public funding eyed for cabin on square
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
Chardon City Council President Philip King said last week that officials can expect to hear varied opinions on a proposal to use public funds to build a new log cabin to Chardon Square.
A 2007 advisory ballot issue asked voters whether the project should proceed without public dollars.
Mr. King said the city has seen controversy before. He said the initial log cabin project, built in the 1960s, divided the community then, as did building the Chardon Municipal Center and bringing a Walmart store to the city.
But without the city's financial help, the new log cabin project is dead, he said. And even with that help, the project will have to be scaled back.
Architect Henry Penttila said the price for the project, originally set at around $400,000, would be reduced to $300,000 or less. Changes have been made to the building plan, including reducing the square footage by 383 square feet to 2,304 square feet and eliminating a timber frame, he said.
Mr. Penttila said he has eliminated a portion of the building on its western side and simplified the floor plan to a rectangular design. He said the number of windows and use of stone also has been reduced to hold down the price.
Although voters agreed on the city proceeding with the project in 2007, an ad hoc committee charged with fundraising for the new building has fallen short of its goals. Total pledges now stand at $109,000.
Mr. King said, if the project is to become a reality, the city must contribute to it. He said the city has identified "not tax-generated" revenues, such as building fees and licensing fees for Internet cafes, that can be used for it.
Mr. King said council must keep in mind that the ballot issue stated the project would be built by using private funds. But the ballot question was simply advisory, not binding, he said.
But former City Council candidate Debbie Chuha, of Goodrich Court, wrote to officials that the voters did speak in 2007, and they did not want city funds used for the project.
She also cited past council minutes in which officials repeatedly noted that the project would be done with private funds. "Mr. King stated he is in support of the project, as long as it is paid for through private funds," according to minutes from January 2008.
Dennis Killeen, owner of the Odd Fellows Hall on Main Street, said he was able to renovate one of the worst looking buildings on the city's main street and sparked a movement across the square to improve its appearance. He said he fears the new log cabin project would ruin the appearance of the park by taking away from its green space.
Thomas Bryant, president of the Chardon Square Association, agreed. He also questioned what would happen if the pledges for the project fail to materialize.
North Hambden Street resident Rebecca Cole also said council should avoid turning to public funds, because other projects would suffer. "Chardon has a wish list, and you're fulfilling all the wishes on the list, and that's not the way I run my home," she said.
However, Center Street resident Gwen Sheehan said a new log cabin fulfills the wishes of those who donated the land for the square. She said those donors stated the land would be used for schools, a courthouse and a public meeting house. "To have a square without a public meeting place would be a travesty," she said. "I would hope you on council would move forward and complete it by this spring."
Mr. King asked council to consider the issue and address it at council's August meeting.
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