County Library Willing to Buy Property for New Thompson Branch

January 24, 2018 by John Karlovec

The Geauga County Public Library is willing to purchase property for construction of a new branch in Thompson Township, according to Director Ed Worso.

“The Facilities Review Committee spent the better part of a year identifying suitable properties in Thompson and has performed due diligence researching, investigating and attempting to acquire a property on which to build a new Thompson Branch of the Geauga County Public Library,” Worso told the Geauga County Maple Leaf in a Jan. 22 email.

“Two design professionals have suggested that we would need 2.5 to 4 acres for such a facility, allowing the possibility in the future of expansion,” Worso said. “One design professional said 4-5 acres and felt that 2.5 was too tight of space constraints.”

Last August, Worso spoke with members of Thompson Township Park Commission about the county library possibly purchasing approximately 4 acres from the park commission if it were to purchase the former Crandall Ford dealership property at auction.

According to a proposed letter of intent prepared by the park commission, Worso had been given authority to negotiate a deal for the acreage. The library board would be willing to buy the agreed acreage for $50,000 if the total property bid ended at or below $150,000 — the opening bid — or $100,000, if the bid was more than $150,000.

“Furthermore it is understood that the new library construction will include some room or wing dedicated to the Frances Spatz Leighton trust,” the letter said.

Less than 20 minutes after receiving the letter, however, Worso sent an email reply to park commissioners Ross McElligot and Charles Lausin, and Thompson Township Trustee Frank Sirna.

“I can’t sign a document like this with monetary amounts on it,” Worso said. “I am not authorized to approve amounts at that level, which I mentioned when we last met.”

Any expenditure over $25,000 had to get board approval, Worso explained.

He never received a revised letter of intent, Worso said.

In late November, Chris Hyatt, owner of Hemly Tool Supply in Montville Township, made the high bids totaling $357,500 for two parcels — including the dealership property — that add up to nearly 22 acres north of the square.

At the Dec. 6 trustees meeting, Sirna said the township “dropped the ball” by not acquiring the Crandall property.

Worso also told the Maple Leaf the GCPL has no problem with recognizing Frances Spatz Leighton in the new building.

“Naming of rooms has been done at several of our library buildings,” he said. “I am on public record on numerous occasions stating that we will name a portion of the new Thompson Branch the Frances Spatz Leighton Reading Room.”

In addition, Worso said GCPL has no intention of acquiring so much property that it would be required to sell a portion of it after purchasing it.

“We are not in the real estate business,” said Worso. “Additionally, it would be easy to remedy such a scenario by including language in any such agreement that the property would revert back to the township if not needed, a right of first refusal clause or something to that effect.”