CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield County Commissioners on Tuesday approved the SPCA’s revised property map for its proposed construction of a new animal shelter on a five-acre parcel near the Clearfield County Jail.
In addition, the commissioners permitted for Curry & Associates to submit plans for running public utilities to the property to the Lawrence Township Supervisors.
According to Commissioner Chairperson Joan Robinson-McMillen, SPCA officials have turned its proposed parcel from vertical to horizontal, which doesn’t split the county’s property in half. She mentioned that it would only increase the property’s value by running public utilities to it.
Solicitor Kim Kesner said he would have typically opposed the commissioners allowing for public utility plans without the lease first being in place. However, he didn’t foresee any problems and hoped to have the lease in its final form by the next regular meeting.
Kesner said he had received revised documents, which included a new map and property description, from Peter Smith, attorney for the SPCA. In the documents, Smith inquired about relocating the proposed property for lease to the SPCA, Kesner said.
Additionally, he said Commissioner Mark B. McCracken contacted him with concerns regarding the SPCA’s original proposal. McCracken pushed for language and provisions by the lease agreement to permit for the board’s review of the initial construction as well as any subsequent construction and or activity on the property.
“But the commissioners wouldn’t unreasonably uphold any construction,” Kesner said. He said the revised language was delivered to Smith, whom hasn’t yet provided the board with a new lease agreement and whom couldn’t be reached prior to Tuesday’s meeting.
According to prior GantDaily reports, McCracken pointed out that the SPCA’s proposed, five-acre parcel would split the county’s property into two parcels. He said it had potential to be problematic and suggested the lease be revised before being approved by the board.
More specifically, McCracken pushed for wording that would require the SPCA to turn over all but one acre of its parcel if the county would need access to the acreage in the future. In the past, he said there were discussions of it being the location of a joint correctional facility for both Clearfield and Jefferson counties. He also mentioned that the jail may also need adequate property if it was to expand at some point in the future.
“I don’t have any problem with that. Those are all legitimate worries. I’m not disagreeing with you,” Commissioner John A. Sobel said then. “But we need to move this thing along, so it doesn’t make these people not want to come here. The SPCA can’t move along.”
McCracken said it was valuable county property, which belonged to the taxpayers. He said it provides the county with options, and he wants the future prison board and boards of commissioners to have access to it.
Sobel then suggested that the board authorize Kesner to negotiate the acreage to be permitted by the lease agreement. He said the SPCA has been more than patient, and these issues should have been discussed a year ago.
“We’re throwing up obstacles in their way. It’s like starting over again,” Sobel said. Robinson-McMillen pointed out the current SPCA facility was “woefully inadequate” and has limited access to the people of Clearfield County.
Rather than him negotiating the guidelines of the lease, Kesner suggested that the commissioners set up a meeting with the SPCA representatives, their attorney and the surveyor regarding the property issues.
McCracken said he didn’t oppose the SPCA facility being located there. Instead, his opposition was only with the location of the facility on the county’s property, and the limitations it may present for them in the future, he said.
Smith previously said the current shelter, located on Graham Station Road in Philipsburg, isn’t able to sufficiently facilitate their services. He said it has become mandatory for them to construct a new shelter, which would be an approximately $1 million facility. He said they would begin a capital campaign pending the approval of the lease.
