Life Skills Center Shot Down Again
.
Left, School District Superintendent Attila Weninger addresses the City Plan Commission Monday night. (City-Times photo)
By Brandi Makuski
For the second consecutive month, city officials Monday night denied a construction permit for the Life Skills Center (LSC).
The denial came after lengthy discussion from City Plan Commissioners, aldermen and school board members in the audience. Much of the concern stemmed from the close vicinity to neighboring taverns and transporting disabled students across the SPASH parking lot- especially in winter- to the building’s proposed placement on Second Street North.
Superintendent Attila Weninger addressed the commission, saying the plans for the LSC have been approved by the school board at every step and bids for contracting work would be released Tuesday should the commission approve.
The building is designed as a multi-use facility primarily serving special needs students. Weninger said the facility is meant to have a comfortable, home-like environment to better suit the students, and the inclusion of a commercial kitchen was appropriate because many of the students the center serves will likely one day be working in a restaurant setting.
“This is a house. It’s intended to feel like a house, to feel like kids can go in there and learn those life skills there. We also wanted it to have more a residential feel to it than walking into a school. We felt that since we own that property we could make it feel that way,” Weninger told the commission Monday.
“It is obviously coming back to the school board because there are many steps to be approved yet, but the board has approved every step so far. I don’t disagree with some of the suggestions made, but in our view it’s most feasible in this (Second Street) location.”
Director of Student Services Greg Nyen also told the commission the building would be used to serve quarterly meals to low- income and homeless residents of the community, and added the extra space could benefit other groups of students as well.
“We would also envision a different student population use for the future of the building, certainly.”
Brian Gollon, owner of Cedar Haus Inn, said he applauded the idea of the LSC, but worried about the 300- foot distance state statute says must be maintained between a tavern and a school.
“As far as the plans show, it’s at 159 feet (away),” Gollon said. “I understand the City Council can change that, which is a good thing, but say we would like to expand our business. It would limit us. And say we’d like to sell it; would that cause problems for the future buyers to carry on the business?”
City Council President Randy Stroik also questioned the location, saying the SPASH campus was so large he wanted to see other options for placement of the center.
“The fact is the (state) statute says 300 feet. We should be having the discussion as a (city) council that asks are we okay with infringing on that 300 feet,” Stroik said. “That campus is so big; there are so many opportunities to do this right instead of piecemeal it together. I’m not convinced this is the right place for this project.”
Commissioners Dave Cooper and Jerry Moore also asked district officials why other space on the SPASH campus weren’t considered, including the large field to the east of the school. Weninger explained even though the field had been recently converted to practice areas for softball, the school was “very short” on outdoor athletic space, and adding the LSC to the existing SPASH building wasn’t feasible.
The commission voted the measure down, with Mayor Andrew Halverson saying the city hoped to see additional placement options for the building in the future.
The measure again moves back to the school board for further discussion.