August 7 Big Day for Proposed Community Center/Library

August 7 Big Day for Proposed Community Center/Library

No and No were the responses the Hilton Village Board gave to the recently proposed joint project that would place the library and a recreation center in a new 55,000 square foot facility on the south side of the Parma Town Hall.

In a letter dated July 20, Walter Horylev, Hilton's vice mayor, shared with Steve Fowler, Recreation director, the village board's current position on the project.

"The Hilton Village Board will be making a formal decision regarding the future use of the Hilton Community Center at the August meeting. At this time, the board does not support the current proposal for the Community Center Project," Horylev wrote.

In a separate memo dated July 24, Larry Gursslin, Hilton Mayor, informed the Village of Hilton Recreation Commissioners that the proposed project would no longer be considered at the village's current Community Center site on Henry Street.

"To recap, as you may recall the Village Board voted to support a study in January of a new or expanded Community Center. In February, we withdrew our formal support when the library was added to the formula. On Wednesday, July 18, 2007, after reviewing the preliminary draft report by DeWolff Engineers, it became apparent to me and other board members that the scope of the project would severely impact the neighborhood around the Community Center, as we know it today. Therefore, we have taken it 'off the table' for consideration as a possible site. A resolution will be introduced to support this informal position at our next Village Board meeting," Gursslin wrote.

The commission is expected to ask the village board at their next scheduled meeting on August 7 at 5 p.m. to support the remaining option to place this new facility at the Town Hall. Fowler is hoping that the commission will get a positive reception.

"This is such a huge project. We need the support of everyone involved. The village board's support is very important," Fowler said.

The town board will also meet on August 7 at 7 p.m. The DeWolff Partnership will be presenting revised plans for the facility at that meeting. It is anticipated that the town board will vote on whether or not to put this project forward to the public via a public referendum in November at an upcoming meeting.