Last night the City Council directed city staff to solicit bids for the demolition of Old City Hall. I felt it important to express my feelings and views on Taylor and its relationship to its history, so I committed my thoughts to paper before sharing them with the Council. Below is the text from which I read last night: During my initial run for City Council back in 2011, I spoke at a meeting of the Taylor Conservation and Heritage Society. The first question asked of me regarded my position on Old City Hall. Demonstrating my ineptness as a politician (and not understanding my audience), I told them I was in favor of tearing it down. I said that there was neither popular community sentiment nor political will on the City Council to preserve the building. It was simply too far gone—and too expensive—to rehabilitate due to years of neglect and inattention. I recommended to them that, instead of spending too much time and energy on what many perceived as a lost cause, the Taylor Conservation and Heritage Society would be better served identifying structures that could still be saved before they reached a similar point of degradation. A member of the society responded that Old City Hall was the only historic building that was City-owned. This was our only chance. ________________________________________ Fast forward to last summer, when representatives of Taylor ISD appealed to the City Council to allow for additional portable buildings in downtown Taylor to accommodate the needs of the Legacy Early High School. Not being enamored with the notion of portables becoming a permanent fixture of our downtown streetscape, the Council asked about plans for a long-term solution to the space issues facing Legacy. It was then that City Manager Dunaway explained that he had been in discussions with Superintendent Jerry Vaughn about the potential for Legacy Early High School moving into this building—that is, the existing City Hall. As for relocation possibilities for city functions, Mr. Dunaway explained that various property swap ideas had been discussed with Mr. Vaughn. Immediately following that particular Council meeting, I contacted the members of the Taylor School Board and asked that they refrain from taking action on the disposition of any real property until the Council and School Board had a chance to discuss options and opportunities. I explicitly stated my personal interest in the possibility of converting the Old Middle School (or “Old” Old High School) on Seventh Street into a City Hall complex. In fact, this wasn’t a new idea. A 2003 study by Komatsu Architecture found that the old school was “unique in its ability to serve as a civic building.” And, despite what I have frequently heard regarding the structural integrity of the building, the study noted that “the structural frame of the high school (was) generally in excellent condition.” Komatsu Architecture futher remarked, “The rehabilitation of the school building will only add to the momentum of renewed interest in the preservation of historic structures within the community and the successful Taylor Main Street Project.” ________________________________________ We often compare and contrast Taylor to some of our sister communities. What is Taylor’s point of difference? What distinguishes us from our neighbors? What makes Taylor special? There are many factors. But I happen to think one of our key distinctions is our rich and proud history—marked not only by generations upon generations of families who have continued to make Taylor home, but also the wonderful historic architecture that has been left us—from our downtown district to stately mansions and homes… and even to our public buildings. Our actions send powerful messages to the world beyond our city limits as to what’s important to us as a community. If Taylor’s heritage and history are as important to us all as I think it is, we need to get serious about taking real steps to reinforce that message. Even if we are to consider Old City Hall a lost cause, there is a still bigger decision to be made. Are we going to use this as a rallying point—to commit to using our best efforts going forward to preserve, protect, and seek adaptive reuses of our historic treasures, thus safeguarding and celebrating those elements that make our town so distinctive and unique? Or will we turn a blind eye and relegate Taylor to a future as just another bland suburban outpost indistinguishable from the next… and the next… and the next? It may be too late for Old City Hall. It’s certainly too late for the old train depot and countless other proud examples of Taylor’s past that have been neglected and destroyed through the years. But, assuming an equitable arrangement can be had between the City and the School District, it may not be too late for the old high school on Seventh Street. I hope our respective entities can fully explore the potential of transforming what is currently a liability to the School District (to the tune of $80,000 in annual maintenance costs alone) into an even greater asset for the whole community…perhaps as a municipal campus—and community center—that features: • The public library and community gardens • A City Hall facility that also accommodates: • The Senior Center, the food pantry and other community services, the Taylor Duck/Webb Room, and meeting space for community groups and activities • An historic auditorium, which Komatsu Architecture characterized as an “architectural gem,” that is ideally-suited for community theater or other productions • Recreation opportunities by way of an on-site gymnasium All this breathing new and invigorating life into an older section of Taylor, and demonstrating that Taylor stands for honoring our town’s history and heritage while also leveraging it to serve the needs of a vibrant and growing community well into the future. All this while also ensuring a more permanent and lasting home for Legacy Early High School and the removal of portable buildings from downtown Taylor.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Jun 2013 03:41:17 +0000
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