Joe Perske, Sartell
While Sartell residents have been waiting decades for a community center/library to happen, rather than experiencing great excitement for them, the process has turned into disappointment and frustration.
Many residents and local groups are dismayed by the extreme south location (orchestrated by a 3-2 council vote) and the lack of their voice to be heard in the process. The latest setback comes from Great River Regional Library commenting the poor location chosen is not a viable option for placement of a branch library.
A central site location, near most families and close to the schools, would seem to be the best and logical location for a community center. The selected Ferche South Site, on the water-holding pond (Lake Francis), is only blocks from St. Cloud and is outside the Sartell-Stephen School District. A one-mile radius from the spot includes hundreds of St. Cloud homes and far fewer Sartell families. The nearest church and school are both outside the City of Sartell.
Without the library option and the lack of community support for the chosen location, it’s time to rethink the entire community-center plan and process. The property owner, Jason Ferche, stated in a recent Newsleader article that the site location for the facility did not matter to him. The council’s 3-2 vote does not show strong council support either, let alone a council member having a business near the pond, which might suggest a conflict of interest.
It’s time to go back and listen to the people, school district, seniors, veterans and library supporters and work collaboratively with them. The Sartell residents want a community center in the right place with the right amenities. We need to invest the $10 million of the half-cent sales tax with prudence as we will not get another attempt at a project like this for decades. The chosen south location is the wrong place today and will be wrong in decades to come when the city has full build-out.