NEWS UPDATE
Monday, February 09, 2009
The Oregonian
The issue: Voters in the Riverdale School District approved a $20 million bond measure in November to pay for a new K-8 school building. Weeks later, a group of residents urged the district to consider renovating the school instead of replacing it. Designed by prominent Portland architect A.E. Doyle, the 1920s building has a cupola and arched windows.
For more than 18 months, board and community members have discussed how to upgrade the building. In December, the board decided 4-1 to tear down the building and build anew, saying rebuilding the campus was a better financial and educational option.
What's new: A group of the district's registered voters sent a letter to the school board, asking for a "clarification vote" to see whether residents of the Dunthorpe neighborhood would still support the bond knowing that the main building will be razed.
Ninety-two residents signed a petition saying the November election was "tainted" because the ballot title included a commitment to "upgrade, renovate and replace" the school and wasn't clear that full-scale demolition was an option. The group has formed a nonprofit -- Preserve Riverdale -- to fight the demolition and will request the Doyle building be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For information, go towww.preserveriverdale.org.
What's next: Riverdale School Board Chairman Chris Hall said the board received the letter but has no plans to pursue a second vote on the bond issue.
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Hello Preserve Riverdale - As a parent of 2 Riverdale students, I am astounded at the lengths to which your group has decided to go to save a structure at the potential expense of 365+ students education, safety and welfare. The "concerns" that have been put forth that voters were ill informed of the possibility that demolition was a possibile result of passage of the bond measure is nothing more than a stalling tactic, and to some degree, a smear tactic designed to cast doubt on the integrity on those who put forth the ballot measure to begin with, that will cost the disctrict hundreds of thousands of dollars it can't afford. This is a selfish, self-rightous "cause" that is very sad. What is the worth of a building built nearly 100 years ago, that is falling apart compared to the education, safety and wellfare of the children attending the school? What benefit are you deriving personally from pushing an expensive, delay and litigation against an underfunded school district other than preserving an edifice that few in the communnity of Portland ever see or are impacted by? Is it vanity? A need to preserve a part of your own past perhaps at the expense of future generations? A resistance or fear of change? I understand the significance of preserving cultural and historical heritage, but there comes a time when these values must be weighed against the welfare of the present and future, and surely this is one of those times. I urge the Preserve Riverdale community to take care in looking at the negative consequences your actions will have on the Riverdale School District and each of the children benefiting from an education there before holding fast to values that have little relevance to the present and future.
ReplyDeletePreserve Riverdale is alleging election misconduct and demanding another election to solve, again, the question of whether the original school building should be demolished. The real question is: Would we be at this point today if the Riverdale School Board had voted to renovate the building at their December meeting, after the measure had passed? The answer is, unequivocally, no. It is not "voter alienation" which is the cause of the "disharmony" present in our neighborhood. It is an inability to accept the results of the election and the School Board's decisions. Had the School Board voted to renovate the Doyle building, would the group of voters who favor a new building have sound the voter confusion alarms? No!
ReplyDeleteThe democratic process was followed correctly. Voters had access to information, in many different formats, before the election. Public hearings were held before and after the vote to determine the best solution to a failing facility. The truth is that there are a determined group of individuals who are unwilling to accept the results of the process and are claiming the are disenfranchised. The resulting legal action and consequences are costing our district and neighborhood dearly. Please put down your swords and let's continue to work together to ensure we provide the very best for our children. Your efforts would be so appreciated.