WALBRIDGE — The village wants to purchase a former gym but community members — and the former owner’s family— are opposing the idea.
At the April 3 council meeting, Kristen Angelo opposed the idea of council purchasing the former Carroll Gymnasium. Angelo noted that the building has not been used in a long time and could potentially have higher maintenance costs.
She also opposed turning the old building into a parking lot for the local baseball leagues. Angelo encouraged others to vote “no” and view the potential consequences that such purchase may have on the community.
Dave Blankenship pointed out that the village has missed out on previous opportunities to purchase additional property. He said he initially supported the idea of purchasing the Carroll building due to the property’s proximity to the baseball fields, considering all the options, but has since changed his mind.
According to the meeting agenda, the village planned to spend $190,000 for the property, located at 417 Main St.
Frank Stone reminded council of the current community functions that the building carries out for the festival committee.
Jason Carroll, son of Terry Carroll, the previous property owner, spoke about the current state of the building. He told council that he has evidence of the building’s trust being fraudulently transferred to the account of his father’s spouse after he passed away in October.
Mayor Ed Kolanko was not at the meeting, but President Pro Tem Karen Baron read a letter he wrote.
“Going on my 17th year of being involved in either council or mayor, voting ‘yes’ is one of the best decisions that the council can make. I recognize the comments on social media regarding the purchase of 417 Main St. In my opinion, social media is not the best for obtaining facts and discussion. In-person discussion is the best.”
The mayor added, “Real estate purchases are often about opportunity. While we may not have every answer (for the future of this entire property), there is enough information available to support purchasing the 2.89 acres. As administration and body council, we have held three full readings of this ordinance. We did not push through as an emergency. We patiently have read this ordinance three times over six weeks.”
Kolanko’s letter also addressed the following issues:
• The unsafe parking lot situation at Railway Park. Lack of space prevents sharper turns when entering and exiting the park.
• The dilapidated building next to the old library that was purchased and slated for demolition. The building was donated to the library despite opposition to converting the property into a parking lot.
• The village tried using eminent domain to purchase the Carroll property under the prior administration, costing the village approximately $25,000.
• Previous missed opportunities for purchasing buildings in the community that could have been useful (Walbridge Elementary Building, Kazmaier’s Store, etc.). The buildings continue to sit vacant.
• The village could parcel off and relist the Carroll property. The building is claimed to still be in good condition and could be repurposed.
• Nearby grass areas could be used as temporary parking lots until a more permanent solution is found.
• The village’s reserve accounts have grown from $1.7 million to $2.7 million since the mayor took office. With more money, potential purposes for the village include the refurbishment of older buildings and providing additional community functions.
Council tabled the purchase. The ordinance authorizing the purchase appears on Wednesday’s meeting agenda. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in the village municipal building.
In other business, council:
• Agreed to bid for road repairs for Raymond Street, Dixon Street, Breckman Street and Percy Street.
• Approved Kolanko’s recommendation to hire Gracyn McNamee, Chloe Shupe, Ryan Vick, Elise Staczek and Addison Boehm as lifeguards.
