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Residents asked for input on old school
(by Joan Demirjian - May 20, 2009)
Residents asked for input on old school
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
Kenston Community Education is seeking answers on whether the community wants to save the former Bainbridge School on Chillicothe Road (Route 306).
Residents of Bainbridge and the Kenston School District are being asked for their opinions about the township-owned school building adjacent to Bainbridge Town Hall.
"We're asking the community to say if we should save the ELC," William Doak, president of the Auburn Bainbridge Recreation board, said about the early learning center. He said input from residents is needed.
However, he said, "It's Bainbridge's building, and, if they decide not to save it, we have no say. We want to give people an opportunity to express their ideas," he said.
"And if the community wants to save the building, we hope Bainbridge Trustees listen," Mr. Doak said. "We feel it would be a shame if the building is demolished and regret it later, and had made no effort at all."
They could start from scratch with something smaller, Mr. Doak said of new construction, but the Bainbridge School is in place, and they hope to determine if the community wants to use. "If there is a viable use, there would be no reason to tear it down," he said.
A consultant in grant writing is seeking grants for the building. "We're optimistic that he can," Mr. Doak said.
Original estimates for upgrading the building, including new windows, heating, air conditioning and a roof, were $750,000. That has nearly doubled to $1.3 million, Mr. Doak said.
If grants were obtained, possibly up to $500,000, the township could put that same amount into refurbishing the building, he said. It would be revitalizing an aging building, Mr. Doak said.
Kenston Community Education is using June 15 as a deadline to bring information to Township Trustees, who are planning to bring in bids for demolition of the building.
The building could be used for Kenston Community Education programs as well as for some senior and latch-key programming. It would provide an opportunity for community meeting rooms.
"It's a great location for the programs," Mr. Doak said of the school building. It could be a satellite station for Meals on Wheels as well, he said.
Mr. Doak said they do not want to take away from other businesses or from programming at the senior center at the Chagrin Falls Park Community Center.
"Why not use the school gym and defray the costs?" Mr. Doak said. Rentals could generate revenue, he said.
Kenston Community Education will wait to see how the community reacts on whether to keep the building, Mr. Doak said. "If the community doesn't back it, there is no reason to go forward."
Bainbridge Trustee Matthew Lynch said trustees gave Kenston Community Education until June 22 to present a proposal for the building, "or we will go ahead with the demolition.
"It's a question of money, and paying for the building," Mr. Lynch said. "We've spent $1 million on it over four years, for a building we don't use."
Bainbridge School was shut down last fall in anticipation of tearing it down, he said. "And KCE keeps saying it needs more time, and they haven't responded to our offer to turn over the keys for a year to run it and pay for it. We have yet to get a definitive response," Mr. Lynch said.
Trustee Linda White said a full-page advertisement in the Times seeking ideas was misleading. "Some people are interpreting the full-page ad that is vague as a lead-in to a levy," she said.
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