Group Lobbies For Lc Annex But School Board Member Says Resolution Only Fuels ‘Unsubstantiated Hopes’

Thu., Jan. 21, 1999

Amy Scribner Staff writer

The city’s leading preservation group voiced its opposition Wednesday to the demolition of the Lewis and Clark High School administration building.

The Spokane City/County Landmarks Commission passed a resolution condemning the Spokane District 81 School Board’s decision to replace the 1908 building with a new structure.

Members of the Save the Administration Building Project had submitted a resolution to the commission for approval in December.

The commission voted against that resolution, instead writing its own that reads, in part, that the commission “reaffirms its opposition to the District 81 school board’s decision which destroys a building included on the National Register of Historic Places.”

The commission also stated it will continue to support historic preservation interests during the renovation of the main LC building.

The group will forward its statement to the school board. The board is expecting a crowded house next week when preservationists ask them to reconsider their decision about the annex.

“I’m hoping this (resolution) will just clarify to everybody where we have always stood on this issue,” said commission member Elizabeth Godlewski.

But school board member Christie Querna has her doubts.

“It does nothing but perhaps fuel unsubstantiated hopes” of reversing the board’s decision, Querna said. “We have charted a course that is going in one direction and we did it with the welfare of students in mind.”

District officials say they’ll continue with plans to demolish the annex despite the resolution. The district has a strict time line for submitting designs to receive state matching dollars for the LC project.

“It doesn’t change the direction of what we need to do,” said Assistant Superintendent Mark Anderson.

The school board held two public forums to gauge public sentiment before voting to replace the annex with a building they say will be more efficient and add classroom space.

LC teachers unanimously supported the decision to demolish the annex.

Anderson said he was encouraged the commission didn’t adopt SAP’s resolution, which would have petitioned the district to reverse its decision.

The LC renovation and expansion is part of a $74.5 million bond passed by voters last February.

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