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Council accepts donation of historic Presbyterian Church; schedules work session to review studies
Summary
Council voted to accept the donation of the Presbyterian Church on Jefferson Street and scheduled a work session to review environmental and structural reports; staff and residents raised concerns about asbestos, PCBs, mold and potential remediation costs.
Council voted to accept the donation of the Presbyterian Church building on Jefferson Street and agreed to a follow-up work session to review inspection reports. City Manager Don Hall presented results of an environmental review and a structural inspection and recommended next steps, including hiring an architect after closing if the council proceeds.
Hall summarized the condition: "The buildings are actually in incredible shape, for their age," and said the environmental study identified asbestos in the 1968 wing, some lead-based paint and other legacy materials. An inspector and contractors noted that some asbestos can be left in place if not disturbed but that disturbance during renovation could require costly abatement and specialized disposal.
Council members and staff discussed other hazards flagged in the report, including PCBs associated with older fluorescent-light ballasts and a few mercury-containing thermostats, and whether a separate mold assessment should be ordered. A staff speaker said the church’s funds run out in March, creating a tight timeline for the donor to complete a transfer if the city moves forward.
Council voted in favor of a motion to accept the donation and directed staff to schedule a working session; the meeting transcript records agreement to meet on Jan. 12 at 6:00 p.m. to review the full engineering and environmental reports line by line. Councilmembers emphasized the need to balance historic preservation with fiscal prudence and to identify code, accessibility and HVAC work required for reuse.
Public commenters urged caution about long-term costs. Resident Janelle Zimmerman said she supports preserving the building but warned the city should "be very careful how much money it could end up costing us," citing other expensive public projects. Resident Dylan Dupuy asked whether the sanctuary would host council meetings; staff said meetings will remain at the current location "until we get things situated at the church and actually know what the layout's going to be."
