Board narrows options for Sugarcreek property: auction or negotiated sale with city/partners; ESC interest in one-story building

The Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Board of Education revisited plans for surplus district property commonly referred to as the Sugarcreek site and moved toward a decision at its April 10 meeting after several months of community input.

Board members summarized two primary options under consideration: (1) sell the property at public auction, which could let any buyer bid but gives the district discretion to reject a highest bid if terms are unacceptable; or (2) negotiate a sale to a government entity, such as the city or the Greene County Educational Service Center (ESC), working through the Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) and potential local partners including the Lions Club. Members said the ESC has expressed interest in the one-story building currently occupied by the EFC (a local school provider) and that the Lloyd/ Lions Club/CIC group has proposed redevelopment plans including demolition of the oldest three-story structure and redevelopment with single-family housing and community facilities. Board members said any redevelopment would be limited by current zoning and floodplain constraints in the back acreage.

Board members said the district’s maintenance team currently spends significant time maintaining the underused buildings and that future capital liabilities — roofs and building systems — represent a financial burden. Members emphasized they want to ensure the EFC has a place to operate next school year regardless of any sale and discussed possible contract language or stipulations to guarantee a lease-back or temporary occupancy. Some board members asked the district attorney to draft two draft resolutions: one to authorize staff and the board president to proceed with auction preparations, and a second to authorize negotiation with the city/CIC and partners, with financial safeguards and potential clauses that any residual proceeds be returned to the district.

The board asked staff to solicit final proposals from city, CIC and community partners and to present two concrete authorization options at the next regular board meeting (two weeks after April 10). Board members also scheduled a follow-up partner meeting on May 5 with area governments and partners to discuss implementation details and to provide the city time to decide what level of liability it could accept. Board members said they would prefer redevelopment consistent with neighborhood scale — single-family or duplex homes — and that the property’s floodplain area limits large-scale development.