Batavia OKs plan at Alice Gustafson

The Batavia City Council gave final approval Monday night to building plans for an Early Childhood Education Center at Alice Gustafson Elementary.

But council members took out a portion of the agreement that would let the district forgo a public hearing in the future if it wanted to expand.

District officials hope to start construction on the 15,000-square-foot, six-classroom facility in the next few weeks.

It is scheduled to open next fall, replacing the current center at Grace McWayne Elementary School. It is the first project of April's successful $75 million referendum question to be built.

Alderman Garran Sparks said he wanted to take out a part of the plan that indicated where potential center expansions would be on the property.

Those would consist of two six-classroom facilities, which would be needed if the state mandates early childhood education, said Superintendent Jack Barshinger.

If the district wants to do that, it should go through the city process again, Sparks said.

"In 10 or 20 years, there's a lot of things that could happen in that neighborhood," he said. "I don't think it's good to have that open-ended out there for so long."

Alderman Dave Brown said having the potential expansions on the plan would be better for neighbors, especially those moving into the neighborhood, because they would know what to expect.

Those buildings would still have to get city approval, he said.

The council voted 8-4 to take the expansions out of the plan. Voting no were Aldermen Jodie Wollnik, Jim Volk, Tom Schmitz and Alan Wolff. Aldermen Eldon Frydendall and Forrest Nelson were absent.