LUCAS COUNTY, Ohio — There's a hot-button issue in Washington Township with tens of thousands of dollars on the table.
The police department says its current building is obsolete and in bad shape. But getting a new one is far from a done deal.
The debate concerns a piece of vacant land near Shoreland Ave. and Summit St., which Washington Township trustees are considering buying and building a new town hall on. But that idea has met some resistance.
"Our demographics and the use of that building do not justify decades of debt associated with the construction of a new township hall," said one neighbor at a public meeting Tuesday night.
At the meeting, nearly 100 neighbors felt strongly about dishing out a large sum of cash.
"We need to take care of what we have before we start building new," said Jerry Mayfield, a former trustee and Washington Twp. resident for 25 years. "We need to take care of our roads. We need to take care of our fire department. Not build a brand new building."
Three options
Constructing a new facility to house police and administrative offices on this vacant property is just one of the options on the table.
Trustees are also considering making significant repairs to their current building on Blessing Drive, which needs a new roof and mold remediation.
They are also weighing whether to permanently consolidate all township offices at the current fire department at Shoreland Ave. and Patriot Drive.
They say there are pros and cons to each of the three options.
"I have a fiscal responsibility," township trustee Kellie Schlachter told WTOL 11. "I'm going to look at what is in the best interest and try to provide them with my reasoning behind it."
Nuanced opinions
"Our existing building fits our needs really well," Mayfield said. "It's been designed over the years, especially designed for the police."
"I don't want them to move to a different location," said Barb Kingsley, who has lived across the street from the current township hall for more than three decades. "I would love for them to have the option of tearing it down or repairing it."
"If the township is going to incur debt, then use it for something that relates to our needs," another neighbor at the meeting said.
Schlachter said the decision is still in its infancy stages but argued a move toward the future should be top-of-mind.
"We still have to make the best decision for the whole township, not just one piece, one street, one neighborhood," she said.
What's next?
No votes on the matter were taken Tuesday. Trustees tell WTOL 11 they'll take the next few weeks to go through concerns they heard Tuesday and consider their options. They'll take up this issue again at their next meeting on July 13.