By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

The old Williston High School, a mostly vacant landmark in the city’s downtown area will be sold by March of next year.

Williston City Manager Scott Lippmann announced at Tuesday’s City Council meeting that BluRock Development, LLC. signed a contract with the Levy County School Board to purchase the front 11 acres of the school.

“Early indications is it will be a traditional shopping center, whatever that means,” Lippmann said.

He said the future owners are open to the idea of building a motel on the property in addition to the shopping center.

The Williston City Council is using a portion of the former high school as office and meeting room space. The former band room is home to the council chambers and was the site of Lippmann’s announcement.

Work is underway to construct a new City Hall. The walls of the next City Hall can be seen at the site of the former municipal building across the parking lot from Walgreens.

Council members were notified the builder, Oelrich Construction has asked for a second payment of $465,000, bringing the total the city has paid the company to $824,429.23. All the funds have come from city cash reserves.

Councilman Charles Goodman said the council previously agreed it would pay up to $1 million of the construction costs out of reserve funds.

The council is authorized to borrow up to $3 million for the project. The actual project cost is estimated to be around $2.5 million. Olerich is projecting a completion date in October of this year.

IN OTHER BUSINESS:

Doggy Dining

• Council members gave final approval to the doggy dining ordinance that gives restaurant owners the option of creating an outdoor space for pet dogs to accompany their owners to local restaurants. Lippmann said there are only four restaurants equipped to take advantage of the new ordinance. The Pyper Cub Restaurant owned by Dave Bibby at Williston Municipal Airport requested the ordinance after being cited by a health department inspector for allowing a dog in his restaurant. Lippmann said there will be no mention in the ordinance of a state law that allows registered service dogs to visit any restaurant with their owners. He said the service dog requirement has no relationship to the city ordinance governing outdoor dining for pet dogs.
Correcting Issue with Veterans.

• Ken Schwiebert, chairman of the Community Redevelopment Agency, said the architect for the Veterans Memorial and a representative of the granite company met with him and acknowledged flaws in the facility that would have to be corrected. He said they haven’t given him a timeline for redoing the work.

• Sharon Washington was appointed to the city’s planning and zoning board. When asked why she was interested in the position, Washington said East Williston and West Williston are all part of the same community and they all need to be on the same team. She wants to inspire that type of thinking. She said her family has been in Florida since the 1800s and in Levy County since the 1930s.

Photos by Terry Witt:

1. Williston resident Sharon Washington is introduced to the Williston City Council as the new member of the planning and zoning commission. With her is City Planner Josie Lodder.

2. Pyper Cub Restaurant owner Dave Bibby thanks council members for adopting the new doggy-dining ordinance. He said he is ready to offer outside dining to restaurant customers who bring their pet dogs.

City of Williston Regular Meeting May 22, 2018
Posted May 23, 2018