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Schools

Hayes Lemmerz Building Steals Spotlight Again

One Ferndale resident still had questions for the Board of Education on Monday about the pending purchase of the controversial site.

As the end of a 90-day due diligence period over the purchase of a controversial property nears, one Ferndale parent is still wondering why the Board of Education won't discuss the building's potential problems.

"I mean, the used to be for sale for more than $6 million," Erika Pratt said after Monday night's Board of Education meeting. "Now it's less than a million. A lot of times when deals seem too good to be true, they are."

Pratt was the only resident to voice her concerns Monday evening at an otherwise routine public meeting, thrusting the pending sale of the building to the school district into the spotlight again and garnering sympathy from at least one board member.

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"What doesn't seem right about this is that the public can't ask questions before we purchase it," Board of Education Trustee Nancy Kerr-Mueller said.

Kerr-Mueller suggested having a public meeting before the end of August, when the due diligence period will expire and the sale would presumably go through.

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But Superintendent Gary Meier reminded everyone that, because of a legal agreement with the owners, the board is prohibited from talking about any issues surrounding the Hayes Lemmerz building until the deal is done.

"I intend to make myself available to answer all questions you have when we are able," Meier said.

Board of Education Vice President Chuck Moeser said after the meeting Monday that the agreement is meant to preserve the owner's ability to sell the property in the event the board finds problems and decides to back out of its purchase agreement at the end of the 90-day period. He also noted, as he has in the past, that the the deal is far from being sealed.

"I don't know what will happen," Moeser said.

The Hayes Lemmerz building at Eight Mile and Pinecrest is a potential financial boon for Ferndale Schools in that the purchase would allow the district to consolidate several school sites into one and get rid of more than $300,000 in rent payments per year.

The district has an agreement to purchase the site for just $950,000 — it used to be listed at $7.9 million — and Board of Education Treasurer Jim Pfleger explained Monday that the purchase is simply one of "economics."

But the building, once home to a division of auto supplier Hayes Lemmerz, has garnered attention from residents over potential environmental hazards. The Board of Education's due diligence plans include a $125,000 environmental study that could reveal just how much — or how little — contamination the site has.

The study is not yet complete.

"We have reason to believe (the building) may not be as contaminated as people think," Meier told Patch in early June.

Pratt said she would still like to see some kind of meeting put together before the end of August to openly discuss the pending purchase.

"I'm just not seeing what the benefit is," Pratt said.

"This is a huge commitment and investment," she added, noting that the board has a duty to residents to better inform them about the building.

Other developments at Monday's meeting

The board welcomed Ray Locke, Ferndale's new special education director, who comes to the district after nine years of serving as the special education director in Whittemore-Prescott Area Schools in Iosco County.

The Board of Education also is moving forward on its to make general improvements within the district. A subcommittee of the Operations Committee has been formed and has already had four meetings. The committee is expected to make its recommendations for improvements by the end of August.

The district last issued a bond for general improvements in 2004.

Read other stories about the Hayes Lemmerz property .

Read coverage of the school bond subcommittee .

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