Hammondsport sets Curtiss school vote

HAMMONDSPORT—The referendum vote on the sale of the Curtiss school between the Hammondsport school district and the town of Urbana is set for May 17.
Residents opposed to the sale got 961 petitions to force the vote. The school board approved the sale Jan. 17 after accepting bids on the empty school building. Town officials proposed turning the property into municipal offices and possible commercial space.
May 17 is also the date district residents will vote on the 2011-12 school budget. Board President Jim Zimar said the district scheduled the votes on the same day to minimize costs. The sale will be the third item on the ballot. Clerk Nancy Clark said it will read, “That the proposed contract for the sale of the Glenn Curtiss Elementary School to the Town of Urbana be approved.”
“If the vote rejects that sale to the town of Urbana, (the board) will decide what to do after that,” said Zimar. He explained the board hasn’t discussed what else to do with the property because they had an agreement with the town. Zimar added that includes offering the school up for sale to another interested party.
The town of Urbana offered $300,000 for the building, the same amount offered by area business owners Dale and Carmen Kramer.