Shaler officials ask for public input for former Jeffery school

The township of Shaler is looking to garner opinions from the public to help determine what will be done with the site of the former Jeffery Elementary School on Wetzel Road, which closed its doors at the end of the 2017-18 school year.

A survey is available for residents to complete on the Shaler government official site until Feb. 28. Information provided on the site explains the cost of certain existing recreational and educational facilities in the township, in the hopes that the public will keep cost in mind when filling out the survey.

Township manager Tim Rogers said that there will be some type of community center on the site, but the extent and size is still yet to be determined.

“The township is anticipating building some form of community center at the old Jeffery site, so we are seeking opinions from residents on what they might want in this center,” said Rogers.

Rogers and the Shaler board of commissioners want to take into consideration “what the community’s expectations are” before finalizing any plans.

Rogers said that cost must be part of the decision process and that he and board members want to make sure that the plans fit both into “the expectations of the residents and the budget of the township.”

Currently, Shaler has no debt and Rogers said they “will, of course, be seeking grants and other things,” but the project will “ultimately affect the debt service of the township.”

“This is the first time we will take on debt in quite some time,” Rogers said.

Rogers said that he anticipates his recommendation to the board will be that the existing Jeffrey school be demolished because the building has “a number of existing issues.”

Any plans for working with the existing building, which was built in the 1950s, would require the removal of interior walls, but every wall within the building has been found to be structural.

A public meeting on the project will be held on March 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the township municipal building. Those who would like to attend are being asked to R.S.V.P. on the township’s website.