Leesburg Residents Take A Couple Hits
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Gary [email protected]
It's nice to stop in Jones' Market and pick up some steaks, pork chops or chicken breasts for the grill. It's nice to stop in the Keg Tavern for a beer once in a while.
Stacy's is a great place to eat and the breakfast at Country Table is pretty darn tasty.[[In-content Ad]]Leesburg is quaint. It's got those awesome brick streets. It's got a nice little park and town hall.
I've actually said to myself, "Self, if you ever move, move to Leesburg."
But, lately, I feel kind of bad for Leesburg residents. They're feeling a bit put upon by government these days.
First, the school corporation decided to build a new elementary on the southeast corner of Armstrong and Baseline roads.
Now, a new elementary school isn't a bad thing. Who wouldn't like a nice, new elementary school in their town?
But the decision has left more than a few - I would say the vast majority of - Leesburg residents disappointed.
Disappointed is probably an understatement based on the conversations I've had with Leesburg residents. Some of them are well beyond disappointed.
It's not that they don't want a new school. It's that they don't want it south of town, across the railroad tracks, at the intersection of a couple of busy county roads road, a few hundred yards downwind from an asphalt plant.
And, frankly, I can see why they're disappointed.
The school board held a special community meeting and more than 100 Leesburg residents showed up.
The school board went over all the options and proposals for the placement of the new school.
The consensus among school officials was that they didn't want to use eminent domain to force anybody into selling land needed to build near the existing school.
The school couldn't be built behind the old school near the ball fields because that's where the existing leech bed is.
It would be cost prohibitive to build near the old school, and you would have the problem of kids in school adjacent to a construction site.
Several people on hand who owned property near the old school said they would be willing to sell if the school board wanted to build there.
The school board talked about the site they eventually chose and another one across Armstrong Road next to the fire station.
Leesburg residents noted that there was land available on the north edge of town along Plum Street where Pearl Street intersects.
When it was all said and done, the residents made it clear to the board that their first choice was to put the new school near the old one. Failing that, they wanted it anywhere but the Armstrong Road sites.
Citing traffic and the railroad tracks, one resident called the Armstrong road site a "disaster waiting to happen."
Board members assured the residents they would consider all options, which I'm sure they did.
But in the end, they did the polar opposite of what the residents wanted.
Many residents wonder why the school board wanted to hear their opinions if they planned to ignore them anyway.
Many Leesburg residents believe the school board had made up its mind long before the meeting ever took place.
"They asked for input and totally disregarded it," one resident told me.
And it kind of rubs some residents a little wrong that the realtor who was studying property acquisitions for the school is the son-in-law of the guy who owns the site they chose.
Residents think if the board had to put the school east of town across the tracks, the site north of Armstrong has better drainage and better soil.
So, yeah, Leesburg residents are a little bummed about the school situation. They basically think the school board ignored them and chose the worst location.
On the heels of this comes the sewer rate issue.
According to the rate ordinance passed by the town, Stacy's restaurant would have a $2,100 per month sewer bill.
Sewer bills like that threaten to put people out of business, and this is quite disconcerting for Leesburg residents.
But this dark cloud has a silver lining.
The town council had to adopt this rate ordinance to secure financing before the project bids expire.
So they did.
They adopted a template, if you will, that is court-tested. It's a means to keep the project on schedule.
It's by no means the end-all and be-all of sewer rates in Leesburg.
Once the project is complete, the rates can be amended.
Any rates can be amended at any time as long as the council follows the proper procedures.
The residential rates came out pretty close to what was expected all along, but my guess is rates for restaurants and other entities that seem way out of line will be amended.
All things considered, I can see why Leesburg residents might be feeling a little put upon by local government.
But don't give up yet, Leesburg residents. Things might not be quite as bad as they seem.
It's nice to stop in Jones' Market and pick up some steaks, pork chops or chicken breasts for the grill. It's nice to stop in the Keg Tavern for a beer once in a while.
Stacy's is a great place to eat and the breakfast at Country Table is pretty darn tasty.[[In-content Ad]]Leesburg is quaint. It's got those awesome brick streets. It's got a nice little park and town hall.
I've actually said to myself, "Self, if you ever move, move to Leesburg."
But, lately, I feel kind of bad for Leesburg residents. They're feeling a bit put upon by government these days.
First, the school corporation decided to build a new elementary on the southeast corner of Armstrong and Baseline roads.
Now, a new elementary school isn't a bad thing. Who wouldn't like a nice, new elementary school in their town?
But the decision has left more than a few - I would say the vast majority of - Leesburg residents disappointed.
Disappointed is probably an understatement based on the conversations I've had with Leesburg residents. Some of them are well beyond disappointed.
It's not that they don't want a new school. It's that they don't want it south of town, across the railroad tracks, at the intersection of a couple of busy county roads road, a few hundred yards downwind from an asphalt plant.
And, frankly, I can see why they're disappointed.
The school board held a special community meeting and more than 100 Leesburg residents showed up.
The school board went over all the options and proposals for the placement of the new school.
The consensus among school officials was that they didn't want to use eminent domain to force anybody into selling land needed to build near the existing school.
The school couldn't be built behind the old school near the ball fields because that's where the existing leech bed is.
It would be cost prohibitive to build near the old school, and you would have the problem of kids in school adjacent to a construction site.
Several people on hand who owned property near the old school said they would be willing to sell if the school board wanted to build there.
The school board talked about the site they eventually chose and another one across Armstrong Road next to the fire station.
Leesburg residents noted that there was land available on the north edge of town along Plum Street where Pearl Street intersects.
When it was all said and done, the residents made it clear to the board that their first choice was to put the new school near the old one. Failing that, they wanted it anywhere but the Armstrong Road sites.
Citing traffic and the railroad tracks, one resident called the Armstrong road site a "disaster waiting to happen."
Board members assured the residents they would consider all options, which I'm sure they did.
But in the end, they did the polar opposite of what the residents wanted.
Many residents wonder why the school board wanted to hear their opinions if they planned to ignore them anyway.
Many Leesburg residents believe the school board had made up its mind long before the meeting ever took place.
"They asked for input and totally disregarded it," one resident told me.
And it kind of rubs some residents a little wrong that the realtor who was studying property acquisitions for the school is the son-in-law of the guy who owns the site they chose.
Residents think if the board had to put the school east of town across the tracks, the site north of Armstrong has better drainage and better soil.
So, yeah, Leesburg residents are a little bummed about the school situation. They basically think the school board ignored them and chose the worst location.
On the heels of this comes the sewer rate issue.
According to the rate ordinance passed by the town, Stacy's restaurant would have a $2,100 per month sewer bill.
Sewer bills like that threaten to put people out of business, and this is quite disconcerting for Leesburg residents.
But this dark cloud has a silver lining.
The town council had to adopt this rate ordinance to secure financing before the project bids expire.
So they did.
They adopted a template, if you will, that is court-tested. It's a means to keep the project on schedule.
It's by no means the end-all and be-all of sewer rates in Leesburg.
Once the project is complete, the rates can be amended.
Any rates can be amended at any time as long as the council follows the proper procedures.
The residential rates came out pretty close to what was expected all along, but my guess is rates for restaurants and other entities that seem way out of line will be amended.
All things considered, I can see why Leesburg residents might be feeling a little put upon by local government.
But don't give up yet, Leesburg residents. Things might not be quite as bad as they seem.
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