KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Kelseyville Unified School District Board of Trustees on Tuesday voted to donate the historic Kelsey Creek Schoolhouse to a nonprofit organization in a process that is still to be determined.
The schoolhouse, built in 1871, originally sat in a location near Quercus Ranch before being moved to its current location on Finley Road East in 1882.
The building hasn’t been used in many years, with the district raising issues about safety and liability.
Nearly two years ago the board had a discussion about possibly giving the building to the Lake County Historical Society, which wants to move it from the place it has sat for 137 years to the Ely Stage Stop, several miles away. At that time, the matter went no further than a discussion.
Board President Rick Winer said Tuesday that the board wanted to begin by talking about whether or not they wanted to dispose of the building, adding that he didn’t like using the word “dispose.” He said they also wanted to discuss how that process will go.
Board member Gary Olson said he wanted to donate it to a charitable organization that will rehabilitate it and do for it what needs to be done.
Marilyn Holdenried, president of the Lake County Historical Society, was in the audience with a number of other society members. She said they wanted to hear the board’s parameters and timeframe. “We realize this will be a step-by-step project.”
She said the organization also realized it needed to go before the Board of Supervisors to get approval for moving the building to the Ely Stage Stop, as it is a county-owned property.
Winer said they want to see the schoolhouse come back to life, adding that he wanted somebody to tell them how they are going to preserve the building and to move it, how they would raise the funds and what their timeframe would be.
Referring to late Board member Peter Quartarolo, he said had Quartarolo been there, he would have wanted assurances that the interested party won’t take a piece of history and blow it up on the road.
Winer said they would have an application form and a timeline, adding that the board realizes the process isn’t going to be quick.
“We want to do it step by step,” he said, adding, “You don't get to make a mistake on this one.”
Board member Taja Odom said they wanted to make sure that whoever is interested has a plan for action.
Winer said he would like to see the building become a public attraction, and that it needs to remain within the school district boundaries.
If a plan came forward to keep the building on its current site and lease it from the district, Winer said the board could entertain that.
“We're open to any good plans,” he said.
Olson said he agreed with Winer, but added, “I don't think the building serves its best purpose in its current location.”
He referred to a letter submitted to the district several years ago – which he was a signatory on along with Holdenried and a variety of others, including others linked to the historical society – from a group calling itself the Friends of the Kelsey Creek Schoolhouse.
The group promoted the idea of moving the building from its current location. They looked at other areas and concluded it should go to the historical society’s Ely Stage Stop. It was not made clear in their letter if the group ever considered working to preserve and use the building in its current location.
“We've gone round and round with this whole prospect over the years,” said Olson, who has in the past repeatedly had the matter put back on the board agenda, as he did in previous discussions in 2016 and 2017. He added that he thinks it’s time for the board to take action and decide to donate it once they determine the parameters.
The board then took a 4-0 vote to move forward with a donation. Based on the agenda item, that included determining that the property “is of insufficient value to defray the cost of arranging a sale.” Board member Allison Panella was absent from the meeting.
Superintendent Dave McQueen said he can work on getting together the process and the board can talk about what they want to do at the May 21 meeting.
Holdenried pressed them on when they can put in a proposal, saying her group is ready to sit down and talk.
McQueen said they need to develop what the process will be and how to put it out to the public, referring to a request for proposals, or RFP, process.
Winer said he anticipated it being on the agenda for the next two meetings, in May and June.
Holdenried responded that she doesn’t want it to keep “dragging on.” Olson said it won’t.
Lake County News asked for more details about what the board envisioned the process looking like. Winer said they will come back with an RFP process, but he said it actually would be more like an application.
McQueen will synthesize the board’s ideas, look at how to handle the issues with giving away school property and return with a discussion item next month.
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Kelseyville Unified School Board votes to donate Kelsey Creek Schoolhouse
- Elizabeth Larson
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