Demolish Grace Hall - do you care?

Do you prefer this? >>>>>

Rumor has it that Woodstock Christian Life Services will be back in front of the Woodstock City Council on Tuesday, July 21, 7:00PM to request (again) approval of their entire development plan, which includes demolition of the building popularly known as Grace Hall.

Council chambers will be packed with employees of WCLS, as it has been in the past.

Now is the time for Woodstock residents who oppose demolition of Grace Hall to put July 21 on their calendars and to plan to arrive early at City Council chambers, so that you get the seats inside the room. Fire Chief and City Council member Ralph Webster will be expected to enforce the seating capacity for the Council chambers this time. Supporters of Grace Hall will have to be inside the Council chambers, where Council members will see them. Being at a remote location with a video hook-up will not be good enough.

The matter would have been rejected by the City Council, if the Mayor hadn't handed a delay to WCLS on a silver platter the last time this came up. The majority of the Council had spoken out and the votes were there to reject the petition by WCLS. WCLS has a smart, crafty attorney. So what did the mayor say to him? "You have the right to ask us to table your request."

Frankly, I was shocked. Of course, Mark Gummerson knew he had that right. Was the mayor was just trying to avoid immediate legal action by WCLS? Who knows? But for the mayor to tell the petitioner that he had the right to ask for a postponement? That was way, way out of order, but not one Council member stood up to the mayor. They should have voted that night, and the vote would have been against demolition of Grace Hall.

Now the matter comes up again.

Quite a number of people have been working with the Historic Preservation agencies of the State to come up with a solution. They are doing all the work, when it is WCLS that should have been doing the work. But what WCLS wants is to tear down Grace Hall and put up four duplexes to lease to senior citizens who can afford to shell out the $200,000 for the buy-in and then a healthy monthly "rent" for the privilege of living there until they die or get too infirm to live on their own.

Is this how Woodstock wants to be remembered in history? "Home of the Duplex"??? >>>>>>

There is more than enough senior housing in Woodstock, existing and planned. There will be lots of competition from the country setting of Resurrection Center, which is being converted from a retreat to senior housing (unless Bull Valley can stick its nose into their business with a successful annexation effort).

Ladies, Gentlemen, Parents, Children, Teachers, Businessowners. There is just one place to be on Tuesday, July 21, starting at about 5:30PM. Arrive early with your Save Grace Hall banners, posters, noisemakers, balloons, sandwich-board signs, hats, flyers, armbands.

In the meantime, lobby your elected Woodstock City Council members and let them know how you feel. You can find their email addresses on the City's website.