The $7,500 price tag for plans for the Union Church steelwork project will be picked up by Orion Township, and paid for out of the capital improvement fund.
The Orion Township Board of Trustees voted on Feb. 18 to approve $7,500 for CBI Design for architectural expenses, bid preparation and advertising for structural steelwork on the floor of Union Church. Although located in the village, the church building is owned by the township.
“I don’t think it’s in the spirit of what (the Union Church Governing Board) did to have (the governing board) have to pay for this,” said trustee Eric Wilson. “A lot of effort has gone into this.”
Wilson said the governing board has already raised $50,000 for the church restoration. “If we pay (the $7,500) these things will get done.”
According to trustee Michael Fetzer, originally the board had agreed to split the Union Church restoration costs 50-50 with the governing board.
“This is only $3,700 additional to pay the full $7,500,” said Wilson.
Supervisor Jerry Dywasuk wondered if the township could donate the building to someone to take care of it.
“It would pose some insurmountable problems, separating the two buildings,” Wilson said of the church and the connected Orion Senior Center.
“The governing board’s stand is that (the church) is meant to be a community center…now there’s (proposed) another community center,” said Becky Goodman of the Union Church Governing Board.
Dywasuk said the type of community center the township was considering was completely different from the church.
“But for weddings and things, (Union Church) seems to fit perfectly,” he said.
Trustee Michael Gingell asked that the board include in their approval of spending the money that the township’s paying for this project did not set a precedent for other expenses.
“I don’t think this action should lock us in for any other requests,” he said.