Bellbrook board opens path to community partners while weighing sale of old Sugar Creek school property

The Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Local Board of Education on Feb. 20 moved to have Superintendent Terez Kozak pursue proposals and report back after community groups and small-business owners presented competing plans for the district’s surplus Sugar Creek school property.

Board members said they do not intend to sign any final sales contracts at this stage but asked Kozak to develop options — including working with the city’s CIC (Community Improvement Corporation), parceling the site, and drafting financial and legal stipulations — so the board can review recommended next steps.

Why it matters: The property sits near downtown Bellbrook and has drawn interest from local nonprofit and private parties that emphasize community uses (an amphitheater, event space, playgrounds) and from small businesses seeking office space. Greene County Educational Service Center (ESC) interest and its timeline for next-year decisions were cited as reasons for moving from discussion to concrete options.

Community proposals and concerns Jim (past president, Bellbrook Lions Club), speaking for the Lions, described three conceptual plans the club studied: a partnership-focused plan that would build a clubhouse, amphitheater, restrooms and concessions to support the Lions’ Summerfest and other community events; a scenario that would raise and redevelop the existing school footprint if no partner took a one-story building; and a third option that assumed a nearby party would take a contiguous three-story parcel. "We're the Bellbrook Lions — ready, willing and able to move forward with this transaction if the school board decides to divest," Jim said, adding the Lions estimated their donations to the district over the last three years exceed $525,000.

Gwen Zemarest, a Bellbrook resident and owner of a local law firm, said she and her husband would prefer renovation and mixed community retail uses rather than demolition or multifamily apartments. "We ultimately want to keep the building. We want to preserve that for Bellbrook’s history too," Zemarest said, noting concerns about plumbing, the roof and ADA access.

Jeff Von Handorf, whose small engineering firm adjoins the elementary school, said his company might convert part of the building to office space and work with existing tenants. He offered to cooperate with the Lions Club so that the festival and other community uses could continue. "We'd be looking at making it an office space," Von Handorf said.

Constraints and technical details Speakers flagged several practical constraints: roughly 4.66 acres lie toward the rear of the site and the presenters said about 60% of that land is in the floodplain, requiring elevated construction if built on; current city zoning was described as residential single-family for the parcels across the street; and the Lions and other presenters emphasized that any multifamily or apartment proposals were not part of their concept plans.

Representatives also noted the Greene County ESC (referred to in the meeting as the career center/ESC) has a decision timeline for next school year regarding whether to rent or purchase space, and that early clarity would help that tenant. Board members said they will seek any critical deadlines (grants, ESC decisions) so staff can prioritize options.

Board direction and next steps No formal sale motion was taken. Instead the board asked Kozak to pursue options and to meet with the district attorney to explore scenarios (parceling, sale to the city/CIC, negotiated transfers versus public auction), and to return with recommended courses of action. Kozak said he would pursue that work and present options to the board.

Board members discussed the advantages of placing the property in the city's CIC for stewardship and noted stipulations could be attached to any transfer to protect community uses and ensure financial benefit returns to the district. Several board members emphasized they did not want to simply allow the property to go to the highest bidder without conditions.

What wasn’t decided No sale agreements or binding contracts were signed, and the board did not select a preferred buyer. Several potential threshold items (the ESC timeline, grant or funding deadlines, formal city/CIC terms) were not fully specified in the meeting and were identified as follow-up questions staff must answer.

Documents and next meeting Board members asked staff to track any critical timelines and to convene the board again as needed. The board also approved adding a May 5 joint session with the township at the township administration building by a recorded vote later in the meeting.

Ending: The board left open multiple community-driven pathways — city partnership, parceling, nonprofit stewardship, or negotiated private sale — and assigned staff to produce concrete options, deadlines and legal guidance for a future board decision.