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Members weigh preservation options for post office and discuss school reuse concerns
Summary
A member reported advice to the borough about protecting the post office via a targeted change (extend protections for civic, nonresidential buildings post-1945); council reportedly lacks appetite to adopt the suggested change now. Members discussed pursuing clarification and noted community divisions over proposed reuse of a local school.
Under new business Speaker 1 reported drafting a response to borough questions about preservation mechanisms and described a recent call with Cindy Rickards about protecting the post office. Speaker 1 said they recommended a clean approach: extend the commission's eligible period to include civic, public-facing buildings (post-1945) rather than residential properties, to avoid charges of 'cherry-picking.' Speaker 1 told members Cindy reported council currently lacked appetite to adopt that change; members agreed to seek additional explanation from council.
During the same discussion, Speaker 1 said public interest in the future of the local school is increasing; reuse proposals are being entertained while many neighbors (including those with yard signs) favor turning the site into a park and oppose development. Speaker 1 characterized some opposition as driven by a particularly vocal individual, using the phrase 'arguably a lunatic' to describe that influence. No response from the named target was recorded in the transcript.
Members agreed to follow up with borough contacts, request clarification on council's position regarding the proposed date-extension approach, and to prepare a more specific recommendation distinguishing civic/nonresidential properties from residential ones before any formal proposal.
