School's deadline approaches

By Vernon Daily Courier staff http://www.dailycourier.ca/ 08/21
The school board will have a better idea of the future of West Vernon Elementary school by the end of September. That is when a request for proposals closes and the board will start looking at the proposals. Board chair Bill Turanski said the school has been declared surplus property and by law the district must give three months notice it will be disposed of and RFPs must be solicited.

“The board would like to see it used for community purposes,” said Turanski. “That would be our preference, but it doesn’t have to be that way.” When it was announced the school would close at the end of the last school year, several groups approached the board expressing an interest in using the facility. Those groups must now provide their requests in an official written proposal. But any group hoping to purchase the property will have to dig deep to do it. “The ministry (of education) will not allow us to dispose of it except at market value,” said Turanski, adding the days of selling property for a nominal fee are gone. The board will have to get the land and building appraised, and Turanski said it is five acres of prime real estate in the downtown core. But a developer seeing dollar signs may want to check with the city first as the land is currently zoned for school use. “They (city) do have a fair amount of clout because of the zoning,” said Turanski. “There are limitations to what can go in there because of the zoning. The city is going to be a major player in this.” The board will look at all of the proposals at the same time.