Oxford/Orion FISH appears to be one step closer to obtaining the old fire hall as the new home for its food pantry and proposed resale store.
The local charity group brought its request to utilize the vacant building off W. Burdick St. before the Oxford Public Fire and EMS Commission Nov. 17.
Although OPFEC took no formal action regarding the request, there was a consensus among officials that the village will lease the old fire hall to FISH while the township will not object to the village being the lessor, despite the latter’s belief that OPFEC owns the building and is the proper agency to enter into such an agreement.
A dispute over which entity owns the old fire hall and should therefore be the lessor to FISH dominated OPFEC’s discussion of the request.
In a nutshell, the village claims it owns 100 percent of the building, while the township asserts OPFEC owns it. The old fire hall is one of the disputed assets involved in the township’s pending lawsuit against the village and OPFEC. Through the lawsuit, the township is seeking to remove itself from OPFEC and dissolve the safety authority once and for all.
Commissioner and township Treasurer Joe Ferrari made a motion to authorize ad-hoc Commissioner Joe Young (who also serves as village manager) to ‘negotiate a lease between OPFEC and FISH to use the old fire hall.?
Ferrari’s motion failed with five township officials voting ‘yes? and three village officials voting ‘no.? In order for OPFEC motions to pass, at least four township officials and three village officials must vote in the affirmative.
Commissioner and village Councilman Steve Allen noted for the record that his ‘no? vote ‘does not indicate non-support? for FISH’s use of the facility. It merely reflected his belief that OPFEC is not the ‘appropriate party? to enter into a lease because the village owns the building.
Allen stated that council already gave its support to FISH’s request at the Nov. 9 village meeting.
At that meeting, council voted 5-0 to ‘preliminarily approve the leasing to the Oxford/Orion FISH of a portion of the old fire hall for their food bank and (thrift) store.?
In its motion, council also authorized village Manager Joe Young, village Building and Zoning Official John Elsarelli and village Police Chief Mike Neymanowski to meet with FISH Secretary Margaret Monprode to ‘work out the final details of such a lease.?
Commissioner and village Councilman Dave Bailey agreed council’s action was sufficient. ‘I think no futher action is needed so I will be voting no,? he said.
‘The village council already gave their blessing,? said Commission Vice-Chair and village Councilman George Del Vigna.
Township and village officials debated a while about the ownership issue and the validity of each side’s claims, which upset Commissioner and township Trustee Pat Fitchena.
‘I think we need to cut the crap and let’s get right to the nitty-gitty of this thing,? Fitchena said. ‘And the nitty-gritty is what we’re doing is making FISH sit in limbo until this group (OPFEC) decides to do the right thing for this community.?
‘I think we owe it to this entity of our community to do something to help them and we have the tools to do it,? Fitchena added.
‘The people who have ownership of that building have already taken that action,? replied Allen. ‘There’s been no denial here. There’s been no laying down on the fence. There’s no stopping anybody from doing anything.?
‘If a lease can be worked out tomorrow, FISH can be in the day after tomorrow,? Allen said. ‘It’s already been discussed so this is not an attempt to obstruct anything . . . The Village of Oxford has said it will enter into a lease with FISH. If it’s determined at a later date that we (the village) don’t own it, then we’ll worry about that when we come to it.?
Allen’s words did not soothe Fitchena. ‘We look like a bunch of asses up here,? she said. ‘Once again, we look like the biggest idiots in this town.?
‘We need to do something for this organization (FISH) that helps everybody in this town. They don’t care if it’s a village resident or a township resident. FISH works for everbody.?
Fitchena suggested that FISH doesn’t even need a formal lease from any entity ? just have the group pay the building’s utilities and maintenance costs.
Trustee Shirley Clancy finally settled the whole issue by notifying OPFEC of the township’s intention to alter its original resolution supporting FISH’s use of the old fire hall at its next meeting.
On Nov. 10, the township board voted 6-0 to approve a resolution supporting FISH’s use of the old fire hall for its charitable purposes while stating its position that OPFEC, not the village, is the ‘proper party? to enter into such a lease. The resolution also made it clear the township was not relinquishing it’s ownership claims to the building in supporting FISH’s request.
To its original resolution, language was added at the Nov. 23 township meeting stating the township has been ‘advised the village intends to act as the lessor,? but does not agree or acknowledge the village is the owner for the purpose of the lease or anything else.
The resolution still makes it clear the township ‘has no objection, and in fact, supports FISH using and occupying the old fire hall.?
‘Basically, what will happen is the village will have the lease with FISH and the township won’t object,? Ferrari explained to a resident at the OPFEC meeting.
Although she was grateful to officials, FISH Secretary Margaret Monprode noted there’s still a zoning issue to be overcome relating to the proposed resale shop.
The old fire hall is currently in an area zoned for multiple family residential use. Village Building Official John Elsarelli said FISH would have to apply for a special land use, which would require approval from both the village planning commission and council.
Officials are currently examining possible ways FISH would qualify for a special land use, according to Manager Young.
A Nov. 19 opinion letter from village attorney Bob Bunting stated the zoning issue is ‘not insurmountable.?
Although the FISH food pantry/resale shop is not a permitted principal use, the planning commission may find it’s a ‘related use such as a social center, social service center and the like,? Bunting wrote.