7/15/2009 6:00:00 AM Interest increases for space at Mountain View school site
Photo by Patrick J. Sullivan
By Melanie Lockhart of The Leader
With lease negotiations nearly complete, organizations are flocking to city officials hoping for a piece of the Mountain View pie.
The Port Townsend School Board on Monday voted 5-0 to authorize that a proposed lease agreement go before the City Council as early as the July 20 council meeting. Superintendent Tom Opstad said that the lease - with some modifications - would likely return to the school board for final approval at its next board meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 10.
"We know there are challenges before you, but in terms of this action, it also creates what I believe is a tremendous opportunity," City Manager David Timmons told the board during Monday's public hearing.
"This is a chance to adapt and reuse a facility so it doesn't get boarded up like the Lincoln Building."
He said it's also a chance to bring community resources together.
The city hopes to use the property for a variety of purposes: housing Jefferson County Family YMCA programs, relocating the Port Townsend Police Department, temporarily offering space to the library during its remodel, and possibly moving the farmers market to the current playground area.
"I'm truly thrilled that this property is going to be out there for the community's good," said school board member Anne Burkart. "I am absolutely in favor of us having a partnership with the city."
Timmons said that he spoke with East Jefferson Fire Rescue Chief Chuck Tandy about the possibility of relocating the fire rescue administration offices. Having the fire and police administration in the same location would benefit the community, Timmons said.
It would also open up doors for potential public safety training to bring officers in rather than send them to other training sites, he said.
Helen Kullmann, a volunteer for the PT Food Bank, spoke up at Monday's public hearing requesting that the food bank be able to use some of the space as well.
"We would be so delighted - we would beg you - if we could get some room in Mountain View," Kullmann said.
Timmons said the city is "looking at having three of the classrooms set aside for community space for evening and day meetings and events" for groups such as the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce.
"This is going to be a wonderful opportunity to have that close interaction with people who are participating at the [YMCA], going to the swimming pool, the chamber of commerce, the farmers market," Port Townsend Police Chief Conner Daily told the school board. "It brings a degree of comfort. All of this together under one roof, as it were, is going to be a great opportunity."
Port Townsend attorney Paul Richmond was the only person to speak against the proposed lease on Monday.
"I think it is a severe mistake to be closing Mountain View in favor of the other school," Richmond said. "By and large, what I think it's doing is setting a bad tone for this whole community" and saying that we don't really care about the children.
The proposed Mountain View lease terms state that the city would pay the school district $66,000 annually for five years beginning Sept. 1 and ending Aug. 31, 2014.
After that, the lease agreement would continue from year to year on the same terms unless terminated by the city or school district. The terms would require two years' notice from either party to terminate the lease.
The city would be responsible for all utility and maintenance costs as well as taxes and assessments during that time. It would also be responsible for operating the county's only public swimming pool.
Following public comment, the board voted to make one amendment to the proposed lease so it includes a cost-of-living component. After three years, the cost-of-living adjustment would automatically be made annually.
Reader Comments
Posted: Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Article comment by:
Kyle Alm
This is great news for the Mountain View site, my only hope is that it remains a TEMPORARY office for the PTPD.
It's way too nice for police, it should be for kids and the larger community. I still like the idea of the PD in the old Kosec building. Pink....they could change the color of the uniforms to match.
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