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Stanford Council brainstorms use for old creamery

June 29, 2009|Michael Broihier

After Tuesday night's special-called city council meeting, Stanford councilmen toured the site of the old Stanford Creamery to inspect the progress of clean up crews and toss around ideas on what to do with the almost nine acre site. The creamery, which has been closed for three decades, is still structurally sound and Mayor Bill Miracle and council members see many potential uses for the building and surrounding property on Martin Luther King Street.

While plans are still in the formative stage, ideas seem split between recreational and industrial use. The former creamery has the largest loading dock in town and has potential to be put to commercial use, but being located next to the site of the proposed Logan's Fort and visitor center makes it a good fit for some type of recreational complex.

Indoor go-cart racing, half-court basketball courts, volleyball courts and batting cages were all ideas explored during the site visit, but Carter said that if the creamery was going to be used for recreation the council needed to get kids involved in the decision making process. "If we're going to make this a place for kids we need to get them in there to look around and tell us what they want."

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Before that could happen, Carter suggested to Miracle they get an engineer in to look at the interior of the building and decide how much open space could be created. Currently, the interior of the building is partitioned off into offices and work spaces. Regardless of how it's going to be used, the council was pleased at the progress city work crews were making in clearing the site and are discussing using the site, at least for now, to store some of the city's vehicles and equipment.

Prior to the creamery visit the city council held a short meeting to approve the 2009-2010 Stanford municipal budget. City Clerk Sandy Gooch said that the $1.2 million budget is pretty much the same as last year, with most income coming from the occupational tax and the insurance premium tax. There was a four percent increase in property tax, which will barely offset a drop in state aid for black topping, which was reduced by $4,000 this year.

The budget also included funding to purchase three new police cruisers at a cost of $23,000 a piece. By participating in a statewide fleet purchase program Gooch called "buy three, get one free" a fourth cruiser could be obtained at no cost.

Originally planned for the meeting was a proposal to scrap a 70-year old city ordinance that prohibits "the sale, possession, gift, transfer or barter of intoxicating liquor (whether wine, whiskey or beer)" unlawful. Miracle said the vote was delayed "because we couldn't get the verbiage right," and would probably be on the agenda at the next regular city council meeting.

Removing the alcohol prohibition, which carries a minimum 30-day jail sentence for those found in violation, would pave the way for those circulating a petition to put a proposal to allow liquor sales within the city of Stanford to a vote.

In other business, the council emerged from executive session to vote on a proposal to purchase 2+ acres of land for use by the water board for $25,000.

The property is in the Lincoln County Industrial Park and adjoins property already owned by the Water Department.

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