By Dani Gruber, special to Mountain Valley News
The east Redlands Mesa Community School has brought crowds of people together since either 1903 or 1904. Now, it is bringing them together again, either to do an emergency preservation of the building, or to demolish it. Both options present challenges.
On June 18, 2010, the east wall of the century-old school tumbled down, according to Redland's Mesa resident Kay Adams. With rainstorms and winds, the remaining structure is precariously standing. Leaving it alone presents liability pressure. Curious explorers gaining access could easily get crushed by the collapse of the roof and remaining walls. Demolishing or preserving the building costs money, which presents more problems.
Historical status
Redlands Mesa Community Organization President Brad Burritt said that in 1997 the building received an historical designation.
At that time, said Burritt, the community was interested in having a school there. “It seemed like a wonderful possibility,” said Burritt, but when the time drew near, the decision was to move it to the Grange, a newer community building about a mile away.
“There was discussion of what to do with that building. There was talk of establishing a library, but the fact was that this building required money to upkeep and there wasn't enough to pay for both (the Grange and the Community Schoolhouse). I remember mixing cement myself—and Ward (Holder) worked with me. It was a lonely proposition,” said Burritt.
In the years since, Burritt said he paid the property tax exemption fee of $25 and considered it not a big deal, but when the tax exemption fee raised to $75 a year, he quit making the payments.
“I quit paying it in 2007. If they start taxing us, it will be less than $75 a year,” said Burritt, adding that the property apparently never went to the county tax lien sale. “If it gets paid back up, it will be $175 to get a property tax exemption again. My feeling is that that building is dying a natural death,” said Burritt. “It's not worth saving that building as it is,” he said.
The tax status
While Burritt believes the costs would be $175 to bring the tax exemption fees current, others believe the costs could be substantially more, presenting additional pressure on the community organization, whose membership is somewhat unclear, to pay the fees.
One Redlands resident asked Burritt how many people are members of the Redlands Mesa Community Club.
“It is every member of the Redlands Mesa community,” said Burritt.
“I'm a member and do not know it? I don't think so,” said Redland's Mesa resident Jim Cazer.
“According to the by-laws, you are,” said Burritt.
This did not set well with some of those attending, including Cazer. The costs associated with the building would naturally fall to those owning it, and if the entire population of Redland's Mesa owns it, then the entire population would be expected to participate in bills incurred from ownership and liability if a disaster occurred.
“Does the organization still legally exist as an entity any more? I don't think it still exists,” said Nomi Gray. Comments and speculation ensued about other organizations, which had been given property but disbanded later. No conclusion was reached.
So, who owns this place?
Originally the property was donated by the landowner to the Delta County School District. When the school ceased to operate as a school, the District transferred the property back to the Redland's Mesa Community Club where the ownership remains today, according to Burritt.
Those attending the meeting quickly established that if the property were to be scraped and sold as vacant land, every resident on Redland's Mesa would be quick to hold out their hand for their percentage of money from the windfall. If, however, the decision was to preserve the building and the residents each had to pony up a percentage of the $50-$100,000 or more required to complete the project, everyone would deny ownership and wallets would be re-pocketed. The same is true if someone were injured while on the property. The stark truth emerged that those who cared for the building did so for sentimental reasons. Financially, none attending were enthusiastic about absorbing the burden.
Are residents liable?
Redlands Mesa resident Veronica Minch expressed concern that if someone got drunk and bumped their head on the way out that such a liability could be very expensive and that she did not want to expose herself to such risk.
“I don't think you'd be liable, but that doesn't stop someone from trying to sue someone else,” said James Schum. “It is more of a moral decision than a legal one. What is our moral responsibility? We cannot just saddle Brad (Burritt) with this. As a practical matter, as a group here, we have to decide what to do with it.”
Preservation possibilities:
Jonas Landes, of Colorado Preservation Inc., was optimistic about qualifying for a zero-match emergency stabilization grant. He said that such grants often take four to six weeks for an answer, but afford the community more time to gain knowledgeable input from architects about the true costs of preservation.
One problem for the schoolhouse is that it never had indoor bathrooms, so if the hopes of preserving it include public use, it would not meet the requirements of a public permit if it did not have restroom facilities added to it.
This revelation caused more concern for some residents. Cazer quickly estimated that renovating the building could easy cost upwards of $100-150,000 and that even with a 50-50 percent grant match, it would be cost prohibitive for residents to absorb that sort of cost.
Redland's Mesa resident Jim Wetzell said that it might be cheaper to build a new building than to preserve the old one, especially if regulations would require that the building be brought up to current codes. Others attending the meeting stressed that the schoolhouse had not been used for nearly a decade and that if mesa residents wanted to donate funding, it should be to the newer Grange building. Even the Grange goes months without being used, but has been used much more regularly than the old schoolhouse.
“There is part of renovation that is not based on use,” said Schum. “The Roman cathedrals come to mind. It is the same concept. Do we really have to have a use to stabilize it and preserve it?” he asked.
Restore, or adapt?
Taking an old structure and finding a new life is called adaptive-reuse, not restoration. “Restoring it is to bring it back to an era or time that it was,” said Landes. “You have to determine what level you want to take it to. Do you want the building used again? Or have it as a one-room schoolhouse? What do you want from a preservation standpoint?” asked Landes, adding that even aesthetics are a valuable use as a visual landscape feature.
Other concerns expressed were whether or not the building could be demolished due to asbestos concerns. Nomi Gray said an inspection would be required regardless of the belief that no asbestos existed in the building.
Landes said the first step was the secure an emergency grant to buy time. “If all the cards fall right, smooth and efficient, you'd be awarded the funds and then find the person to do the stabilization in two months,” he said.
Other options
Suggestions ranged from demolishing the building and placing a plaque at the site marking that it was once the home of the Redland's Mesa School, to turning the building into a library or museum, to making the area a community garden. Near the end of the meeting, an informal poll was taken. Of 16 people present, 10 voted to demolish the building, three voted to preserve it, and three were undecided.
Ultimately, the decision was made to fence the site until further decisions and discussions can occur.Volunteers donated time and materials and work began to fence the property on July 4.
