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Zoning ok’d for gun shop, firing range By Kelly J. Kaczala Press News Editor kkaczala@presspublications.com
Christmas play
The Bono Baptist Church children's ministry director Andrew Tucker, leads the kids in "Silent Night" before their annual Christmas play begins. (Photo courtesy of Maggi Dandar)
B-C-S looks to update schools By Larry Limpf News Editor news@presspublications.com
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The biggest thing driving this is, where do we spend our money wisely?
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A committee established to study building needs of the Benton-CarrollSalem School District has scheduled two community forums to gather input from district residents. The forums will be held Feb. 1 and March 15 at 6:30 p.m. Both will be held in the auditorium of Oak Harbor Middle School – the oldest school building currently in use in the B-C-S system. B-C-S superintendent Guy Parmigian said the goal of the 40 or so members of the committee is to have a recommendation before the board of education by the summer of 2016 for the middle school, R.C. Waters Elementary School and Oak Harbor High School. “The biggest thing driving this is, where do we spend our money wisely?” Parmigian said. “We don’t want to be investing large amounts of (maintenance) funds in the current buildings if we’re looking to renovate or build new or whatever. We want to keep this a wide open, transparent process. If the recommendation of the committee is to do nothing and maintain what we have then we’re going
to live by that. It has to be a grass roots effort.” Assessments of the buildings show each in need of extensive upgrades and repairs. All three will need to have their heating and air conditioning systems as well as their roofs replaced. Their electrical systems will need to be upgraded to accommodate new heating and air conditioning systems and LED lighting. Hazardous materials such as asbestos will need to be removed and pavement upgrades will also be needed. The original portion of the middle school was constructed in 1900 and addi-
tional classrooms were built in 1943, followed by an auditorium and cafeteria/gymnasium in 1951. A music wing was added in 1959 and the library was expanded in 1994. Preliminary renovation cost estimates for the building are about $12 million. The elementary school was built in 1956 and classrooms were added in 1961. A cafeteria was added in 1985. Preliminary renovation cost estimates are about $8 million. After being constructed in 1975, the high school underwent a few renovations/ additions in 1984, including an auditorium, music-band room and a natatorium. An indoor track and library and auxiliary gym were completed in 1997. Preliminary renovation cost estimates are about $20 million. The district may be eligible for construction funding from the Ohio School Facilities Commission in five to 10 years, Parmigian said, but the state share may cover only about 7 percent of a project. A survey of committee members indicates three-fourths of the members would not support pursuing an OSFC project if the state share was that low.
Following a public hearing, Oregon City Council on Monday approved a zoning change for Al Tawil, who plans to build a gun shop and firing range at 1463 and 1469 Towers Drive. The zoning change is from M-2 General Industrial to C-2 General Commercial. The Project Review Committee thought C-2 was appropriate zoning for the parcels, according to James Gilmore, building and zoning commissioner. He said an abandoned car wash is currently on the property. The M-2 zoning was most likely from a different use before the car wash was built several years ago, he added. The Planning Commission recommended approval of the zoning change. Councilman Tim Zale, a former police officer, asked Tawil if he was going to sell ammunition and firearms from the gun shop. Tawil said it would be a gun store and firing range with 14 shooting lanes up to four feet wide. Seven lanes would be 50 feet long, and seven lanes would be 125 feet long. “Regarding sound proofing, would one hear outside? I’m thinking of the residential neighbors living nearby,” said Zale. “You’d probably hardly hear anything,” said Tawil. “You’d probably hear something. It’s not going to be loud or that you could hear through glass.” The building would be made of concrete, with the possibility of materials being added for extra noise insulation, he said. Councilwoman Sandy Bihn asked if there were any residents living near the site. Tawil said there was one residence to the north. Bihn asked if it was close. City Administrator Mike Beazley said he drove by the site, and that the residence is “fairly close.” “Obviously, a buffer would be required,” he said. Beazley added that the zoning needed to be changed to commercial. “We didn’t think industrial zoning was
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