Board votes to raze admin building

The San Marcos CISD central administration building on South LBJ Drive is destined for the wrecking ball, as is the old Bonham campus playground.

The SMCISD board of trustees approved the demolition of the old building, which employees moved out of last year due to mold and air quality issues. 

“It’s going to deteriorate further, it’s costing us money on an annual basis, and there’s really no up side to keeping that building there, or the playground,” trustee John McGlothlin said. “... It doesn’t cost us anything to maintain a level field of dirt.”

“I would like to demolish it also,” trustee Kathy Hansen said, “because it’s not a building that somebody could move into. If it was OK, then we’d still be there.”

Two members of the public had voiced concerns about the agenda item regarding the fate of the building. Esther Garcia wanted to know why trustee Miguel Arredondo would put the item on the agenda when his family owns property two houses over that could be affected by the sale of the district property.

“That was never my intent,” Arredondo responded, adding that he wanted the board to have a discussion of what to do with the site if the district does not sell.

David Montelongo, who owns property near the site, voiced concerns that a developer will snatch up the property and build more apartments there, creating problems for the south side. However, during its discussion the board did not indicate that the property the building is standing on would be for sale anytime soon.

“We don’t have an offer,” McGlothlin said at one point. “... we’re going to have it for a while.”

Arredondo began the discussion of the old administration building by discussing the playground at Bonham, which the district stopped using in 2009 and has not maintained.

“If there’s no interest from the dais at least at this time to sell the property (the administration building), what are we going to do to that site? Are we going to wait another 10 years to do anything to it?” he asked. “... My concern is that the central administration building at that same site will be left in the same state of disrepair for the foreseeable future.”

McGlothlin asked Assistant Superintendent for Business and Support Services Karen Griffith how much the district is spending on maintenance for the building. The amount is about $11,000, not counting insurance, which Griffith said could be another $5,000 per year. McGlothlin said he was concerned that the district is spending about $16,000 annually on “that mothballed facility” that could be razed for an estimated $50,000 to $60,000. 

“If we’re just going to let the building deteriorate over time, it’s better to just not have it there,” McGlothlin said. “... An empty field is a better neighbor.”

Jay Wesson, director of facilities and construction for the district, said there is no known asbestos in the old building but that more tests need to be done. 

Lupe Costilla said she did not see any problems with letting the building simply sit there. However, Hansen pointed out that if anyone gets hurt on the property — either at the building or the playground — the district would be responsible. 

The board voted 5-1 to demolish the administration building and the playground, with trustee Anne Halsey absent and Costilla voting against the measure.