This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Politics & Government

Council to Ask For More Time Over Historic Middle School Building

A lack of consensus over a task force's recommendation to convert the historic Greenbelt Middle School into a community center demands more time, the city council agrees.

The Greenbelt City Council needs more time in its to take over the historic Greenbelt Middle School -- 93,000 square feet of soon-to-be vacant space currently owned by the county's Board of Education. 

With an Aug. 15 deadline looming, members of the city council indicated last night that they will ask for more time from the BOE in order to conduct more public hearings over the takeover.

To date, the council has been unable to reach a firm consensus on a city-sponsored task force's recommendation to acquire as much as half of the building for use as a community center. The other half would be torn down due to .

Find out what's happening in Greenbeltwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The council has decided to invite Paul Taylor Jr., director of the county's Planning and Architectural Services Department, and at least one BOE representative to a public work session sometime in August.

The council also discussed possible ways to alleviate costs to the city that were first suggested by City Manager Michael McLaughlin in a July 20 memo. 

Find out what's happening in Greenbeltwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Among those suggestions were closing down the Springhill Lake Recreation Center and moving it to the historic middle school, along with $250,000 to $300,000 worth of staff and operating costs. 

He also said it was likely Greenebelt could use its remaining Public Open Space funds, totalling about $900,000, toward work at the middle school.  And, he said, the city could possibly qualify for a Maryland capital grant if it establishes a senior center at the school.

McLaughlin ended the memo by citing at least four other "big ticket"  projects that could compete with the middle school takeover for funds, including renovations to the Old Greenbelt Theatre.

Three residents -- Molly Lester, Bill Orleans and Chris Shuman -- also participated in the work session.

Orleans suggested establishing what would come of the middle school building were the city to refuse what he called the county's "good offer." (Selling the building to the city for a minimal fee and paying $6 million for renovations.)

Lester and Shuman wondered whether the money could be better spent on other services. Both were also concerned about the cost to taxpayers.

Barbara Simon and architect David Whaples represented the task force at the work session. Joe McNeal, assistant director of recreation operations for the city of Greenbelt, also participated in the work session.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Greenbelt