Pateros School Board abandons Carlson property consideration

PATEROS – By a unanimous vote, members of the Pateros School District Board of Directors abandoned considerations to pursue a bond for the purchase of the Carlson property during its regular meeting last Monday, Nov. 26.

In late September board members toured the property and its gymnasium located on a bluff above the junction of State Route 20 - the Pateros-Twisp Highway - and U.S. 97 as a prospective practice facility. The board also commissioned a feasibility study that was distributed following a public hearing on the proposed bond measure on Monday, Nov. 19.

In an earlier media comment, Pateros Superintendent Greg Goodnight said the board was initially impressed with the site and authorized Goodnight to investigate the project further. One goal in acquiring the property was to provide alternate practice space for varsity and JV teams that presently must share the school’s only gym.

Goodnight said that for the $1.3 million asking price, the district also hoped to develop a couple more practice fields for outdoor sports. Pateros currently has a single baseball diamond at the east end of the football field that must accommodate both baseball and girls fastpitch games when they occur on the same day.

A proposed bond of $6 million was under consideration to purchase the property that had to be approved by the next board meeting on Dec. 10 to get the measure on the spring ballot by the Dec. 15 deadline.

Public opposition to the measure was quick and vocal. Former Pateros mayor and current city councilman George Brady said he took an objective look at the survey and found multiple concerns, including access issues, that remain to be addressed.

Pateros resident and former teacher, Frank Herbert questioned water and sewer systems since the property lies outside city limits and hookups and lack of cost estimates for operations and maintenance.

Following public comments, board member Marc Armstrong proposed the motion to withdraw consideration to purchase the property.