Woodland Hills board accepts letter of intent for 531 Jones Avenue sale to Heritage Community Initiative

The Woodland Hills School District board voted June 11 to accept a letter of intent for the sale of district-owned property at 531 Jones Avenue in Riddick to the Heritage Community Initiative.

The action, moved and seconded during the meeting, passed with eight votes in favor, zero opposed and one abstention, the meeting clerk announced.

Board leaders said the district will relocate administrative offices into unused space at the rear of an existing district-owned house and that the sale would allow Heritage to occupy and activate the Jones Avenue property sooner than other options. Supporters at the meeting argued that Heritage could put the building to community use quickly.

During the public-comment period, resident Isaac Bunn told the board he is negotiating the sale of one of his properties to a large fresh-produce company and asked the district to waive back taxes on that parcel as an incentive to complete a related deal. "The company is gonna bring in jobs. They're gonna help with my nonprofit to...distribute fresh produce to people who need it most in the community," Bunn said. He said the Allegheny County treasurer and county executive told him they had no authority to waive the taxes and that "it's up to the board." Bunn asked the board to consider the waiver to move the transaction forward.

Board members discussed the district's long-term financial position and said staff have a plan to relocate central-office functions into existing district space. Several trustees praised staff work on the Jones Avenue matter and thanked district administrators for the presentation materials provided prior to the vote.

The motion to accept the letter of intent was recorded as "approved" in the meeting minutes; the clerk read the tally aloud after online voting closed.

Next steps discussed by the board included finalizing sale paperwork and coordinating the administrative move to the district-owned house referenced during the meeting. The board did not make a decision on any tax-waiver request during the public meeting; staff said the county and the tax-collector processes determine delinquent-tax enforcement and any payment arrangements.

Board members present at roll call included Tamara Allen Thomas, Laura Armstrong, Mike Beaumont, Johnny Griffith, Karen Lyons, Sarah Rasinski, Johnny Green, Melanie Timbers and Terry Lawson.