The purpose of this letter is to raise an idea for discussion and debate. Perhaps after further consideration, this idea will have no merit and will be disregarded. The Village of Mineola is considering spending over $2,000,000 for the refurbishment of the Old Village Hall which houses the fire house on Washington Avenue. The Mineola School District has indicated a need for new office space for the school administration to be located at the middle school.

The Willis Avenue School property has been the source of much discussion and debate for many years over what use should be made of the property or whether the property should be sold.

I believe that some thought and study should be given to the idea of a property swap whereby the village acquires the Willis Avenue property and the school district acquires the Old Village Hall on Washington Avenue.

The Willis Avenue property would give the village a piece of property on which the village could put a new fire house on a larger piece which could be used for further expansion in the years to come. It seems that Governmental requirements for fire departments may increase in the future which may require further expansion which the Willis Avenue property would afford the fire department over time as opposed to a smaller and more compact piece of property on Washington Avenue. Another way of putting the issue is whether the Village of Mineola and the fire department are better off in the long run economically and safety-wise with acquiring a piece of property that may better suit its needs in the future. A side benefit with having the fire department located on Willis Avenue is to further stabilize this area and serve as a basis for further improvement.

The school district could acquire a piece of property that is centrally located with parking and may be ideal for office space. Additionally, the long standing issue of Willis Avenue would be finally solved.

I am certainly aware that the above idea is subject to real estate appraisals, the cost of removing the old Willis Avenue School, various other economic issues, and need assessments made by the Village of Mineola, the Mineola Fire Department and the School District.

In closing, as the Village of Mineola and the school district look to spend millions of dollars, it may be prudent and wise to investigate and study the above. After all is said and done, the idea may not be feasible, but at least it can be said that all alternatives were properly evaluated and the pros and cons considered.