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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981 11-25 Council and school board clash, plan meeting on school-closings THE REVIEW Council and school board clash, plan meeting on school-closings By JONATHON CLYDE GLASS percent of the school district's total taxes monition that they should not get involved Staff Writer yet cannot prevent their schools from in a school board matter. closing. "To me it's taxation without "We represent the citizens of The Maplewood City Council refrained representation,"he said,noting that none Maplewood—all the citizens.And we're Nov.19 from actually initiating a study of of the school board members live in not supposed to get involved when the how to form a separate school district in Maplewood. parents call us up and are concenred Maplewood, but council members con- Speaking on behalf of the school district about events in the city?"Joker asked in tinued their criticism of the District 622 were Marilyn Vars,1140 Beam Ave.,and response to Vars'statement. School Board for considering a proposal Lillian Johnson,1935 E.Larpenteur Ave., Joker's suggestion that the council 44\440 to close Harmony Elementary School in both members of the School Closing form a committee to study the formation northwestern Maplewood. Committee which recommended the of an independent school district within In a stormy session,council members closing of Harmony in 1982.The school the city, however, was rejected as �\and some members of the audience district has to reduce spending somehow, "premature." M, denounced the school district for causing liars said. Instead, at the suggestion of Coon- hardship to parents and elementary "I think the school district would be cilman Gary Bastian,the council agreed school children from northern portion of criticized if it kept buildings open and cut to a joint meeting with the school board to Maplewood who have watched three of programs to balance the budget," she discuss the matter directly.That meeting their neighborhood elementary schools observed, has been scheduled for 7 p.m.Nov.30 at close in the last six years. liars and Johnson both affirmed the the District Service Center, 2055 E. "1 am thoroughly,thoroughly disgusted fairness and sincerity of those who Larpenteur Ave. with the school district.I'm willing to help worked on the school closing committee. anybody who wants to break away from Committee members drew up their own IN OTHER ACTION,the council con- 622," said Councilwoman Fran Joker. criteria to use in evaluating each school, sidered two changes in the city's housing "I've had it right to the top of my head and did not know how the evaluation policies that would enable people to build with the superintendent and board would turn out until they saw all the smaller houses on smaller lots. The members and anyone who wants to close figures for Harmony and other schools, council ended up tabling both items,but one of our schools,"she continued, they said. not without recognizing that increased The city council tries to plan the neigh- "I dislike the inference that the criteria land and housing costs may force the city borhoods so there are school, churches were tailored to eliminate Harmony," to allow people to build smaller structures and shopping facilities near all the Vars said. on smaller parcels of property. residential districts, said Councilman According to a revised subdivision Norm Anderson.When the school district 'IT'S UNFORTUNATE that people ordinance,the minimum size for a single closes schools,especially so many in the who disagree with a decision don't get family lot would remain 10,000 square same area of the city,it undermines that involved until the end," Johnson said. feet,but for a double dwelling it would be effort,he continued. "After you (the committee) have had reduced to 12,000 square feet.Anderson THERE WERE FEW hard figures hearings and hearings and hearings— and Juker expressed the strongest con- available at the meeting to substantiate and nobody comes—then you make the cern that smaller lot sizes would or disprove the wisdom of closing Har- decision and everybody jumps on you." jeopardize the property values of those mony,but Michael Wasiluk,1740 Frank While the council members were unsure who have already built large houses and St.,a former school board member,noted how they could affect a school board then find smaller dwellings going up on Maplewood residents pay roughly 70 decision, they flatly rejected liars' ad- neighboring lots. Anderson and Juicer expressed similar reservations about the smaller homes which would be built if the city significantly reduced its minimum floor area requirements.The current zoning regulation requires all one-story homes to have at least 1,040 square feet,while one and one-half story dwellings must have at least 960 square feet on the ground floor and two-story homes must have a minimum of 720 square feet on the first floor. Anderson found the proposal to reduce the minimum size for one-story homes from 1,040 to 864 square feet to be ex- cessive.He suggested a minimum of 950 and the Planning Department agreed to further study the matter for the next council meeting.