Second offer on Remsen building met with resistance
New bid doesn’t protect Weymouth Preservation Society
Photo by LAUREN KOKETKO Dave Clardy, of Intervention for Peace (right), explains his plans for the Remsen Building to Fiscal Officer Angela Ventrua (left), Trustee Ken DeMichael and Trustee Bill Ostmann.
MEDINA TOWNSHIP – An offer to buy the Remsen Building made by Dave Clardy, of Intervention for Peace, was met with resistance from Weymouth Preservation Society members April 20.
The Weymouth Preservation Society is one of three organizations that currently uses the building, and were protected in the previous contract and agreement for the sale of the building, with an agreed-to purchase price of $215,000, made between township trustees and the Medina Soccer Association, also in the building. The vote to proceed with that agreement needed to be unanimous between trustees Bill Ostmann, Ken DeMichael and Ray Jarrett. DeMichael voted no March 23, stating he had another potential buyer with a higher offer.
That offer of $290,000 came about six weeks ago, according to Clardy. His organization, Intervention for Peace, is a provider of services to individuals with developmental disabilities and has been in Medina since 1994. He stated a national Medicaid mandate will mean county boards, like the Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities, will no longer be able to provide day services and most will need to turn to private providers in the future. This factor is why Clardy and Intervention for Peace are interested in the Remsen property, and the plan is to use it as a “hub” which will include offices, development training services and employment training for individuals with disabilities in the county – similar to the Achievement Center on Windfall Road in Medina, which would reportedly need to discontinue services because of the mandate.
Other projects Clardy has worked on include Spokes Café in Medina, an renovated, historical, 1835 home that now is a bike rental and coffee shop with individuals with developmental disabilities working as employees. Another Spokes Café is slated for Austin Badger Park in Montville, and should be completed by Labor Day.
He explained he wanted to continue to work with the Medina Soccer Association in the building, but nothing was mentioned regarding the Weymouth Preservation Society. Chairman Ostmann asked Clardy what would happen with the preservation society if he were to buy the building.
Clardy, a township resident on Old Weymouth Road, asked Ostmann what the society’s involvement is now and what they do in the building. He later said he wasn’t aware of what the WPS does. After explanation, Clardy stated his company would need to use the space the preservation society currently occupies.
With regards to any restrictions on the property, Ostmann explained the last contract agreed upon had certain conditions, “The thing is, you want to use it and we’ve already said that we wanted the Weymouth Preservation Society to remain in there, then there’s obviously a discrepancy.”
“We would need the space,” Clardy replied. “So I don’t know how we could both be there.”
Numerous times he stated he appreciates the historical aspect of the building and would like to maintain it.
Multiple members from the preservation society spoke to make a case for the society and what it stands for in the township, citing numerous community events, exhibits, tours and a collection of artifacts and historical items.
“One of the problems here is you were not told the other agreement said the Weymouth Preservation Society was going to have to stay,” Ostmann said to Clardy. “It’s not an apples-to-apples bid. We would have to change that we want the Weymouth Preservation Society to stay in there, that’s the problem. At this point, myself, after negotiating this for two years, it would be very difficult for me to make that change.”
Members from the soccer association were also in attendance, and a few spoke in regard to the issue at hand. Ian Jones, member of the soccer board, stated the board hasn’t discussed what should be done since the original contract wasn’t approved. He also stated they are open to ideas, whether they include MSA owning the building, or having guaranteed space through another building owner. The deal with the soccer association had been in the works since July 2015, according to Jones.
“It seemed like a simple real estate contract to me. I don’t know why it took two years; I can’t speak to that at all because I didn’t handle it,” DeMichael said.
The issue of why the contract took so long to be voted on came up multiple times. Different reasons, such as trying to protect multiple organizations, scheduling of board meetings and transitions at the prosecutor’s office were given.
“The thing is I could’ve had this done two years ago, the one that held this thing up was you,” Ostmann said to DeMichael.
DeMichael asked why it was he that held it up, to which Ostmann replied, “First you asked $600,000 for it, I mean, come on.” DeMichael replied it didn’t take two years to determine the building wasn’t worth $600,000.
With Trustee Ray Jarrett absent from the April 20 meeting, ultimately no decision was made, but it was encouraged that Clardy meet with Tom Barko, new president of the preservation society, to see if a compromise can be reached before moving forward.
If the township wants to sell the building through a contract, a unanimous 3-0 vote is necessary. The township has also considered putting the building up for public auction with some restrictions, but would only need a majority 2-1 vote. The county had tried to auction the building several times in the past, with no bids.
The Weymouth Preservation Society is one of three organizations that currently uses the building, and were protected in the previous contract and agreement for the sale of the building, with an agreed-to purchase price of $215,000, made between township trustees and the Medina Soccer Association, also in the building. The vote to proceed with that agreement needed to be unanimous between trustees Bill Ostmann, Ken DeMichael and Ray Jarrett. DeMichael voted no March 23, stating he had another potential buyer with a higher offer.
That offer of $290,000 came about six weeks ago, according to Clardy. His organization, Intervention for Peace, is a provider of services to individuals with developmental disabilities and has been in Medina since 1994. He stated a national Medicaid mandate will mean county boards, like the Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities, will no longer be able to provide day services and most will need to turn to private providers in the future. This factor is why Clardy and Intervention for Peace are interested in the Remsen property, and the plan is to use it as a “hub” which will include offices, development training services and employment training for individuals with disabilities in the county – similar to the Achievement Center on Windfall Road in Medina, which would reportedly need to discontinue services because of the mandate.
Other projects Clardy has worked on include Spokes Café in Medina, an renovated, historical, 1835 home that now is a bike rental and coffee shop with individuals with developmental disabilities working as employees. Another Spokes Café is slated for Austin Badger Park in Montville, and should be completed by Labor Day.
He explained he wanted to continue to work with the Medina Soccer Association in the building, but nothing was mentioned regarding the Weymouth Preservation Society. Chairman Ostmann asked Clardy what would happen with the preservation society if he were to buy the building.
Clardy, a township resident on Old Weymouth Road, asked Ostmann what the society’s involvement is now and what they do in the building. He later said he wasn’t aware of what the WPS does. After explanation, Clardy stated his company would need to use the space the preservation society currently occupies.
With regards to any restrictions on the property, Ostmann explained the last contract agreed upon had certain conditions, “The thing is, you want to use it and we’ve already said that we wanted the Weymouth Preservation Society to remain in there, then there’s obviously a discrepancy.”
“We would need the space,” Clardy replied. “So I don’t know how we could both be there.”
Numerous times he stated he appreciates the historical aspect of the building and would like to maintain it.
Multiple members from the preservation society spoke to make a case for the society and what it stands for in the township, citing numerous community events, exhibits, tours and a collection of artifacts and historical items.
“One of the problems here is you were not told the other agreement said the Weymouth Preservation Society was going to have to stay,” Ostmann said to Clardy. “It’s not an apples-to-apples bid. We would have to change that we want the Weymouth Preservation Society to stay in there, that’s the problem. At this point, myself, after negotiating this for two years, it would be very difficult for me to make that change.”
Members from the soccer association were also in attendance, and a few spoke in regard to the issue at hand. Ian Jones, member of the soccer board, stated the board hasn’t discussed what should be done since the original contract wasn’t approved. He also stated they are open to ideas, whether they include MSA owning the building, or having guaranteed space through another building owner. The deal with the soccer association had been in the works since July 2015, according to Jones.
“It seemed like a simple real estate contract to me. I don’t know why it took two years; I can’t speak to that at all because I didn’t handle it,” DeMichael said.
The issue of why the contract took so long to be voted on came up multiple times. Different reasons, such as trying to protect multiple organizations, scheduling of board meetings and transitions at the prosecutor’s office were given.
“The thing is I could’ve had this done two years ago, the one that held this thing up was you,” Ostmann said to DeMichael.
DeMichael asked why it was he that held it up, to which Ostmann replied, “First you asked $600,000 for it, I mean, come on.” DeMichael replied it didn’t take two years to determine the building wasn’t worth $600,000.
With Trustee Ray Jarrett absent from the April 20 meeting, ultimately no decision was made, but it was encouraged that Clardy meet with Tom Barko, new president of the preservation society, to see if a compromise can be reached before moving forward.
If the township wants to sell the building through a contract, a unanimous 3-0 vote is necessary. The township has also considered putting the building up for public auction with some restrictions, but would only need a majority 2-1 vote. The county had tried to auction the building several times in the past, with no bids.