Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Former School May Not Be Sold

Peter McIntyre Wednesday, 30 September 2009 09:52 107.5 KISSFM:

BC's Education Ministry may end up not selling the former West Vernon school site. That was the indication from new Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid who met with mayor Wayne Lippert at the UBCM convention in Vancouver. Lippert says, "They're re-thinking some of their property decisions. It may still remain as a school, it may not, but that's something they (Ministry) will determine." Lippert says the province is looking at continuing to use the former school for early childhood education.He says as long as it remains a community asset, that's fine with him."They're recognizing the community purchased that through a referendum and it was truly a community asset, so that was good." The school closed down in 2007 due to low enrolment. A daycare has been using part of the building since 2008.The city and regional district have been interested in buying the land and using it for parks.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I believe the parks operating agreement with the School District already allows the property's use as a park.
If the City and the Regional District are talking about removal of the building to use the land for park, then that would be a whole different question. All I can say is that building is somewhat newer than Fulton and should, at least in part, be useable.
So the question then becomes what value to either the City or the Regional District is the land without a building as opposed to the land with the existing building intact and useable for community purposes.
Ask yourself what use the former Fulton site is put to right now, an whether the City or the Regional District again can afford such short-sightedness.