Tiffin City Board of Education met in November to begin the plans for the future of the Clinton Elementary School building.
During the meeting, board member Roland Zimmerman had said, "The building is a landmark that brings good feelings to the Clinton Township community and means a great deal to those that attended the school."
The board approved the building to be rezoned and to change the building's zoning classification from an agriculture district to a business district in order to serve the best interests of the citizens of Clinton Township.
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PHOTO BY NICOLE WALBY
The Clinton Elementary building sits unoccupied, awaiting its fate.
By changing the zoning classification, the board will be able to sell the building in a public auction sometime in April.
"People do not want to see it demolished, so the board wishes the building to be sold to a good company so the people of the community will continue to see the building," Zimmerman had said.
During the organizational meeting in January, the process of the rezoning was under way and according to the zoning book, section 416, the building is proposed to be rezoned for permitted principal uses of the OI-Office and Institutional District. These uses include general offices, such as physicians, dentists, architects, engineers, administrative or legal personnel, etc.; child care services, shops, public buildings, bank offices, private school services, or university services.
The process of the rezoning still is under way.
Seneca County Regional Planning Commission was to meet Wednesday to hear the board's case to discuss any problems due to traffic or utilities. From there, it can either approve, deny or modify. Within 30 days from that meeting, the Clinton Township trustees would meet to also approve, deny or modify the zoning change proposal, and the meeting is to be scheduled for March 5.
Twenty to 40 days after the March meeting, the trustees would have to have a public meeting in which they would either approve, modify, exempt or deny the case.
"Clinton is very important to a lot of residents in Clinton Township," Zimmerman said. "The building has been a mainstay for a lot of years."
"In my own case, my children went to the building, and eight out of 12 of my grandchildren, so every time I drive by the building, it brings a pleasant meaning to me, and a lot of people will feel the same way," Zimmerman said.
