Message from the President
April 3, 2010

With CSD approval, SSCA has been paying the County fees and hiring professionals to conduct a feasibility study to see if it was possible to turn the facility into a permitted Community Center. SSCA has discovered that it will take $312,000 (purchase price) and at least $500,000 (discovery not yet completed) to remodel the building so it is permitted for legal occupancy.

Mr. Dunton said if he lets SSCA submit a County approved phasing-in plan to allow some occupancy, then CSD would be operating a facility still owned by them that has a function other than a school. Basically the County said that the owner of the Springdale School whom submits a plan must be compatible with the owner’s mission. CSD’s mission is to educate children; and SSCA’s mission is to service a wide range of community and retail functions.

The SSCA board is meeting this Tuesday at 6 pm in the Springdale School to discuss future plans. Does SSCA wish to continue trying to purchase the school? Without about $600,000 the Community Center plan looks pretty bleak. In the past 12 months grassroots fundraising has netted about $11,000 for purchase and about $5,000 for a feasibility study. SSCA has had a good partnership with CSD and it hopes to continue efforts to preserve the building for its best use.

A meeting at the Multnomah County Office has been scheduled for Tuesday April 6th. SSCA hopes to have some answers to many vexing questions. Isn’t there something the community can do to continue using the School? It is one of the few places east of the Sandy River to have meetings and community functions.

The SSCA board has been great, and I’ve received many thanks the past few days for getting the feasibility study going. The thanks came in spite of the news, which is especially bad for board member tenants to whom I spoke. Please note that SSCA has 11 board members and about 120 paid members. It’s ironic that the latest improvement which was putting in a new septic tank and getting the whole septic system certified is one that may not have much use. (County approval letter was received March 31st).


Gary Law, President