Open Hearing on Osborn Property was Well Attended by Locals

On Monday, February 24^th, the Cascade School District held an open hearing in the high school auditorium about the sale of the Osborn property. A crowd of over 80 came to learn about the issues and voice their opinions.

Trey Ising, chair of the school board, explained that this is the first step in the process to decide what to do with the Osborn property. This step deals only with the Osborn school building and not the playground, tennis courts or administrative building. The City of Leavenworth gets first rights to purchasing the property based upon a Memorandum of Understanding, written in 2016 when the city agreed to build a skate park to mitigate for the one removed during the CHS construction.

The deadline for opening the property bid by the city is June 2020. The City then has until September to decide if it can and will purchase the property. If the CSD bypasses offering the property to the city, it will owe the city $100,000, reflecting the rebuilt skate park of the MOU. If that happens or if the city chooses not to buy, then the school board will hold another hearing about opening up the bid generally.

Ising clarified that this hearing was only about selling, yea or nay, to the City of Leavenworth, and not about the future uses of this property. The early trickle of speakers at the microphone demonstrated that most were surprised by this announcement and needed to rethink their comments.

Important facts about the property were shared, both by the school board members and community members.

If the property is sold, the money will go into the general capital budget for the district.

To keep the property is to maintain an old building, originally from the 60’s and remodeled in the 80’s, that is falling further and further into disrepair. It would require, as Ising emphasized, “a lot of work to be viable.”

Sharon Waters reminded everyone that during the bond campaign for the new schools, the district, in its promotional materials, promised to sell the Osborn site, and mentioned the City was interested in maintaining it as a green space.

None of the current school board members were serving when the MOU was drafted, but Ising said, “We all want to honor what was promised.”

The vast majority of the 25 or more citizen speakers were in favor of selling the property to the city with the concern, over and over again, that it be maintained for public use, not private development. Worries about what the city might decide to do were raised in questions about whether a conservation easement clause could be added to the contract.

Amber Zimmerman, a resident who lives outside the city limits, turned her attention to the audience, asking everyone, but especially those who lived in the city limits, to make their voice heard by the city officials. Mayor Carl Florea spoke soon after Zimmerman and pointed to her, saying, “My community is bigger than the city limits. You are all a part of this process.” Speaking hypothetically about the possible deal, he said, “Everyone has their favorite ideas. We’ll have a fun, vigorous time figuring it out together.”

Aaron Simon, who serves as liaison between the City’s Department of Parks and Recreation and the school district, said that the city has already acquired funds, through other property transactions, which would help go toward the purchase of property “for the sake of green space north of highway 2.”

When a local asked about the rumored one or two schools buried under the Osborn property that could add a large expense to structure removal, two long-time residents corroborated the truth. The remains of an old elementary school could be found under the current administrative parking lot, which will not be touched. Also, a former high school resides under the tennis courts, which also will remain. “What’s under Osborn is Osborn’s foundation,” Teresa Disher, CSD Director of Facilities, said. “But when we dig, there are always some surprises.”

Would the district maybe need a building in the future, even an out-of-date one? Ising replied, “We’re already considered ‘building heavy’ by the state.” The new buildings incorporated some expected growth. “Our projections show no more need in the future.”

Another resident, who lived for many years across the street from Osborn’s fields, shared how he’d seen hundreds and hundreds of kids and adults having fun on the Osborn property. He reiterated the common feeling that it needs to stay as green space.

A final concern about whether the city can afford to purchase the property brought up an idea of the city working with a partnership or consortium to keep it in the public’s trust.

The meeting ended with a new school board member, Zachary Miller, thanking everyone for sharing their thoughts. “We are listening,” he said, “There are city officials here too, and they are hearing your voices.”

Superintendent Tracey Beckendorf-Edou wrapped it up, saying, “These types of hearings bring new ideas.”

The open hearing adjourned after about one hour. The school board will discuss and eventually vote on the matter in an executive session.