How School Board Candidates Would Vote on Coultrap Demolition

On Monday night, the Geneva Board of Education is expected to vote on whether to demolish the 90-year-old Coultrap facility.

A Facilities Planning Task Force recommended in May that the building, which originally served as Geneva's high school and had incarnations as a middle school and grade school, should be torn down and the property held as green space until such time as the high school needs to expand.

The decision is a difficult one that includes concerns about historic preservation, safety and dollars and cents.

With the School Board election coming on April 9, Geneva Patch asked each of the eight candidates to answer the following questions for an article to be published prior to Monday's School Board meeting:

• What option do you think is best for the Coultrap property and why?
• If the motion on Monday night is a resolution to demolish Coultrap, would you vote yes or no?

As of Sunday night, six of the eight candidates responded. Geneva Patch will add the other candidates' responses when they are submitted.

Each of the six candidates said they would vote to demolish part or all of the existing building.

Here are their responses:

Leslie Juby

Position: Demolish the newer additions to the building but mothball the historic 1923 portion of the building.

Reasoning: The Coultrap property is an integral component of the high school expansion, in addition to housing some of the mechanicals for the high school. As the School District wisely held on to the Williamsburg property, in anticipation of its future service, so should it maintain ownership of the Coultrap property.

The "new additions" to the historic building should be demolished and turned into green space. Using money generated from the sale of the Brundige Road property, the district should mothball the historic portion of the building. When the high school expansion moves forward, an architect specializing in repurposing historic structures should be employed to incorporate the building into the expansion plan. 

Robert L. Cabeen 

Position: Demolish the building and hold the property as green space.

Reasoning: While I have heard from many who would like to have Coultrap left intact and serving the community in some useful way, I haven't heard of any plan that won't involve the district in a costly repair and maintenance situation.

As I understand the problem, once people understand how much this will cost, there is very little willingness to go ahead with any plans for another use of the building. I believe the current plan is to have a green space where the school is.

Given the very tight budget and the fact that students will get little benefit should money be spent on Coultrap, I would vote to proceed with the use of this land as a park.

Fred Dresser

Position: Demolish the building, but erect a monument to recognize its role in Geneva history.

Reasoning: As was provided at the last School Board meeting, the costs to bring Coultrap up to current building codes would require a substantial investment. With the current debt the district has, adding to this debt is not a wise decision in today’s economy.

While it may be difficult for the alumni to see this building and the memories it has held over the years torn down, it is the more-prudent option. By reinvesting the approximately $68,000 to $70,000 it costs to annually maintain Coultrap into today’s classrooms, we as a community will help to ensure that today’s children, tomorrow’s leaders, will have the opportunity to receive the education they deserve.

Do not allow Coultrap to fade from memory. I would urge the board to erect a monument to recognize the important role this school played during its life.

Dan Garrett

Position: Demolish the building and hold the property as green space.

Reasoning: The Coultrap issue is a sensitive one, but the best decision is to tear down the building. Based on the information from the Jan. 14 meeting, including the photos and numbers, repairs would be extensive and close to the cost of a new structure. Minimal fixes were $2 million to $3 million and searches for renters found only one interested party, and they couldn't afford the annual $70,000 utilities, let alone justify the expense of tenant improvements they'd require.

I accept the recommendation of the task force and staff to raze the building while holding onto the land for future school use.

David Lamb

Position: Demolish the building and hold the property as green space.

Reasoning: As a candidate for the Geneva School Board, I am very interested in the process in which decisions are made.  I believe if major decisions go through a rigorous review, are made in a transparent fashion, contemplate what is best for the entire community, and incorporate feedback from the community, then the final decision will become self-evident.

The Coultrap issue, in my opinion, has been rigorously reviewed and discussed by the board and administration. I attended the two Coultrap public forums, and I discussed the issue directly with the two board members on the district's facility task force.

I am confident the current seated board members, who will make the decision on Monday, have done their work.

Jeffrey DiOrio

Position: Demolish the building, unless a preservationist trust steps up with funding for maintenance and preservation.

Reasoning: The Coultrap decision is difficult because of the history and positive impact the 90-year-old structure represents.  Unfortunately, the financial reality cannot be ignored. It would cost millions of dollars to even make the building safe enough for people to actually enjoy its history.

Ideally, I would like to see a preservation trust created to offset maintenance costs and preserve Coultrap, but until someone or some group values the building enough to step forward, demolition seems most financially responsible.

If I were to vote today, and no realistic preservation trust had been established, I would vote for demolition.

Other Candidates

The School Board President Mark Grosso and board member Bill Wilson did not respond by 11:30 p.m. Sunday. Grosso led the facilities task force that recommended the Coultrap demolition.

Four School Board seats are open in the April 9 election.

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