South Bruce Peninsular - Wiarton High School Sold - Comments

The rest of the story...

CL1368 — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 21:01:32 -0400

Garym, you omitted the last 2 paragraphs of the news story you quoted, which ties the posting by Dodge below into this saga.

â€œThe project will provide much-needed housing for seniors,â€ said South Bruce Peninsula Mayor Gwen Gilbert.

Councillors meeting as the agriculture, tourism and planning committee approved the amendment to the townâ€™s official plan at Thursdayâ€™s meeting. The decision will be ratified by council at its next meeting on May 3.

Mayor Gilbert made a big fuss over this during the election, but watching her as Mayor, she did not attempt to stop the sale, nor stop the change of the bylaw for the land use, and now we see her taking the spotlight.

Just another observation.

Back To School for Seniors

garym — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 23:28:37 -0400

Some closure surfaces on the High School sale as Jay Kirkland, or rather, Developer Jay Kirkland gets a green light from the County to create a new seniors residence:

Developer Jay Kirkland plans to build 53 residential townhouses. He also wants to develop mixed residential-style apartments for seniors and a nursery in the former high school.

According to the planning report submitted to the Bruce County planning department, Kirkland plans to develop the project in stages and has no detailed plans for the old school building. But this phase is envisioned as having a day care on the main floor and seniors apartments on the second floor ...

In March 2006 South Bruce Peninsula council designated the building and property as having a cultural value on the understanding that the building would likely be adapted for use in the future and that changes to the building or new construction may be needed to accommodate this use. The purpose of the designation was not to hinder any development plans but ensure the heritage attributes of the property are clearly identified and conserved wherever possible.

The former South Bruce Peninsula council then sold the school and a piece of land the size of a town block to then-councillor Kirkland on March 25 for $230,000.

[ County OKs project for old high school site ]

This reminds me of a running joke back in my own High School, where the one of our rebel gang who most loathed and hated the school system was the one who went on to complete teacher's college and, last I heard, was now slated to spend the rest of his working life within those walls. And now, here for all those approaching the retirement age and looking to return home for their sunset years, I wonder what they'll say when we assign them a home room and locker number ...

garym: ict evangelist - musician - whatever

Too Bad We Can't Get the Other Side

garym — Sun, 28 May 2006 09:52:11 -0400

You know, your guess here doesn't seem all the implausible:

"... it seems almost plausable that Council was too quick to buy the high school without a solid plan. Then a scenario evolved where they 'had' to sell ..."

We know there was some serious and red-tape befuddled movements to declare the site a heritage building; could there be some twist where it became difficult to secure capital to do the (serious) cleanup/restoration when it was town property? I just wonder because of the suddeness of the turn-over, and because it went to Kirkland -- if there was an emergency situation where it had to be sold for a believable amount (ie, not sold to the Friends for $1) who else other than he would be likely to just happen to be standing nearby and just happen to have a 'spare' quarter million laying around in liquidatable assets?

It's really a cryin' shame our councellors themselves feel so gag-ordered that they can't dare to join in these open online discussions (as opposed to just phoning me with vague threats, which does tell me these pages get read) because political silence always breeds contempt and this one particular bit of Unknown Circumstance certainly hints to me like a caution to not count the boobies until the fat lady sings. Left to our own speculations, there's nothing but fingers to point, but who knows, maybe there actually is something covertly noble going on ...

garym: ict evangelist - musician - whatever

Gwen Gilbert Running For Mayor

Dodge — Wed, 10 May 2006 00:04:04 -0400

Gwen has filed her papers today. She is running for Mayor of the Town of South Bruce Peninsula

See how the morn in russet mantle clad
Creeps over yonder hill.

Shakespeare

Shades of back country Alabama..

bub — Tue, 09 May 2006 20:07:41 -0400

Incredible..its seems like a lot of inbreeding making decisions..but what I really notice is that the /seller/ pays to clean up asbestos and such, unheard of..it is almost always buyer pay..its bought as is..and I have signed quite a few contracts for companies to remove asbestos..and its not unheard of to pay 100,000 dollars...for a /small/ job.In effect, by selling it so cheap, and then paying to clean it up, it may be given away, or worse..we pay for Kirkland to take it.
So backwoods Alabama.

You Could See This Coming Almost

Dodge — Tue, 09 May 2006 10:42:17 -0400

Pasted from my comment here on Aug 31, 2005:

"Just 30 people turned out for a (Friends) meeting on the Wiarton School. Looks like Sauble Beach Ratepayers are going to be on the hook."

A group called "Friends of the High School" with a core of 2 or 3 Wiarton individuals was instrumental in getting the town to buy the high school in the first place. There was never any business case for it just some "what if" scenarios.

It seems almost plausable that Council was too quick to buy the high school without a solid plan. Then a scenario evolved where they "had" to sell to Kirkland. My Aug 2005 prediction turned out to be correct I just didn't see the fork in the road ahead and I should have included all Town of South Bruce ratepayers

What everyone is thinking is that a little more effort would have garnered a sale that yielded enough to cover costs. There is more than enough value there once the property is broken up and the sale agreement calls for the Town to pay the breakup costs anyway.

It is bad management or worse. we have struck bottom....again.
We can do a lot better.

Today the pieces will fall into place for a sea change

Wiarton High School Sold

Dodge — Tue, 09 May 2006 08:51:48 -0400

The Wiarton High School Property agreement was sealed last night at Council. Councillor Jay Kirkland got 22 building lots
for $230,000 . Some reports say the Town paid $600,000 for the property. As well the town is paying for demolition
and hazardous material removal including asbestos.

Here is part of the sale agreement.

BUYER, Jay Kirkland as trustee for a corporation to be incorporated

agrees to purchase from

SELLER, The Town of South Bruce Peninsula

the following

REAL PROPERTY:

a) Lots 7 and 8 (less the 5 feet thereof that have not been patented) East side of McNaughton Street, South of Division Street, geographic Town of Wiarton, Town of South Bruce Peninsula, County of Bruce (the â€œOriginal School Parcelâ€) and

b) Lots 9,10, 11 and 12, East side of McNaughton Street, South of Division Street, geographic Town of Wiarton, Town of South Bruce Peninsula, County of Bruce (the â€œDemolished School Parcelâ€),

c) Lots 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, West Side of McNaughton Street, South of Division Street
Geographic Town of Wiarton, Town of South Bruce Peninsula, County of Bruce (the â€œPlaying Field Parcelâ€),

(collectively the â€œpropertyâ€) for the

PURCHASE PRICE of:

a) and (b) will be Eighty Thousand Dollars (CDN $80,000.00) for Lots 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 East (less the five feet thereof that have not been patented) ; and