Residents to vote on school's purchase, demolition of building

About 25 residents turned out on Monday, Sept. 19 to voice their opinions on the Springfield Board of School Directors’ proposal to purchase and demolish home at 47 Union St., directly in front of Union Street Elementary School.

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Neighbors support building purchase
Neighbors and residents of Springfield told the Springfield School Board Monday night they liked its plan to buy a blighted apartment building in front of Union Street School and tear it down.

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016-09-21 / Front Page Residents to vote on school's purchase, demolition of building By TORY JONES BONENFANT toryb@eagletimes.com The property at 47 Union St., in front of the Union Street School, will be slated for demolition if voters approve a proposal by the school district to purchase the land. — TORY JONES BONENFANT The property at 47 Union St., in front of the Union Street School, will be slated for demolition if voters approve a proposal by the school district to purchase the land. — TORY JONES BONENFANT SPRINGFIELD — About 25 residents turned out on Monday, Sept. 19 to voice their opinions on the Springfield Board of School Directors’ proposal to purchase and demolish home at 47 Union St., directly in front of Union Street Elementary School. After several public comments of support, the board voted unanimously to approve language that will appear on the ballot on Nov. 8 for voter approval on the $45,000 purchase. School board chair Ed Caron said the Springfield School District had made an offer, which had been accepted, to acquire the property “for security for the school, and to help out the neighborhood a little bit.” The property is currently owned by Robert and Julia Kibbe, who reside in Kentucky, according to the purchase contract. The purchase still requires voter approval, and will appear on the ballot for a town vote on Nov. 8. Several community members spoke at the meeting in support of demolishing the property. Center Street resident Richard Andrews, who was a student at the school from 1954-1956, said he recalled when the building at 47 Union St. was a general store. “The principal hazard that building posed to students here was tooth decay from candy we’d buy on our way home,” he said, bringing a chuckle from the audience. On a more serious note, Andrews added that more hazards exist now than in 1955, and that the building does pose a risk now to students. “It is essentially an intrusion into what should be the campus of this school,” he said. He also said that people moving into town would appreciate the school’s new appearance and the additional safety of having a clear view of the building. “You have the source of funds. The cost is modest. The benefit would be substantial,” Andrews said. Several others spoke in agreement, citing police records that indicate 43 police calls to that building in the past 14 months, and that the removal of the building would be in line with the town’s efforts to decrease blight in residential neighborhoods. Springfield resident Lori Claffee, a member of the Union / Park Street Neighborhood Association, brought in an informal petition in favor of the proposal, which she said was signed by nearly 100 local residents. Steve Hier, finance director for the school district, said that the estimated cost for demolition after the purchase would be $8,000-$12,000, not including any asbestos abatement that may be required. The school district plans to have an inspection to check for asbestos if the purchase is approved, he said. The language that the directors approved, and which the town’s attorney Chris Callahan had prepared, will appear as follows: “Shall the Springfield Town School District authorize the purchase of property located at 47 Union St. for the purposes of enhancing safety, traffic flow, and aesthetics at the Union Street School for the purchase price of $45,000 to be paid from funds received from the prior sale of East School?” Board member Steve Karaffa motioned to accept the language as presented to appear on the ballot for voter approval. All voted in favor. Superintendent Zach McLaughlin said that several years ago, some residents of Springfield were concerned, after a similar proposal, because they felt they did not have enough time to discuss it before the vote. That is the reason the board began offering public meetings regarding the land purchase on the agenda ahead of having exact estimates for the demolition, said board member Mike Griffin. “We wanted to open up the dialogue and get a nice kickstart to the conversation,” Griffin said. The board of directors will present another public information night on Nov. 7 before the vote, according to Caron. At that meeting, the board will have multiple and more specific estimates for the cost demolition project, McLaughlin said. The board has a request for proposals out at this time for the demolition work. The town meeting is usually at the Bellows Falls Union High School cafeteria, he said, but the exact time and location will be warned publicly before the meeting.