Just in!
Discussed at last night's planning commission.
Lakewood City Schools have asked for help from the city in not designating Franklin School as historic, so that they can tear it down, and sell property,
My question is we know millions have been wasted thanks to Phase 3, and 50 Year Committee.
How many millions have been spent on Franklin over the past ten years, which is now added to the pile of BOE waste.
You know like the hospital 20 million here, 30 million there, 283 million over there, pretty soon we are talking about some serious loses and waste.
Stay tuned.[/quote]
From a public record request...
From: Keating Anderson, Susan <
SAnderson@ralaw.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 4, 2025 3:42 PM
To: Planning Dept <
planning@lakewoodoh.gov>
Subject: Franklin School, Docket No. 06-24-25 - For consideration at the June 5, 2025 Planning Commission meeting
Importance: High
CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders.
Members of the City of Lakewood Planning Commission,
I and my firm represent the Lakewood City School District Board of Education (“Board”). The Board prides itself on operating an award-winning public school district with excellence in academics, the arts, sports, and community service. Vital to the District’s success is the Board’s focus on sound fiscal and strategic planning for the future, which includes responsible management by the Board of its school buildings and facilities.
As part of the Board’s strategic plan for its facilities, the Board is pursuing the sale of Franklin school, a building the Board no longer needs for school programming or operations. Most recently, on May 19, 2025, the Board approved a resolution to initiate the sale of Franklin by public auction in accordance with its obligations under Ohio law for the disposal of real property by a board of education. The public auction is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on June 23, 2025.
It is my understanding that at the City of Lakewood Planning Commission meeting on June 5, 2025, you will be asked to review and approve as eligible for historic designation the Franklin building. This is not a designation sought by the Board and, for the following reasons, the Board has significant concerns about this proposed action.
Designating the Franklin building as a historic property will place unnecessary restrictions on the ability of the Board to dispose of Franklin at the highest valuation possible. As you know, a historical designation brings with it certain restrictions to the potential future development of the property. These restrictions have a high likelihood of interfering with the Board’s ability to obtain the highest and best offer for the building and could deter buyers for the property altogether. Such a designation would have a negative fiscal impact on the District and could result in the Board being forced to own and maintain a property for which it no longer has use. Needless to say, a building sitting vacant for many years is not in the interest of District or the greater Lakewood community. This proposed action will significantly constrain the Board in being able to manage its own property in the manner the Board deems best for the school community and could result in a negative impact for the City as a whole.
As a result of these concerns, the Board requests that the Planning Commission not approve the Franklin building as eligible to be designated a historic property. Thank you for your consideration of this information.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Susan Keating Anderson
Susan Keating Anderson
Shareholder
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1375 East Ninth Street
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Cleveland, OH 44114
Direct Phone No.: 216-232-3595
Main Phone No: 216.623.0150
Fax No.: 216.623.0134
Email:
sanderson@ralaw.com
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