School district grants easement for health building
Staff writer
Marion school board granted the county health department an egress Monday so traffic exiting a planned drive-through at a proposed health building could go through the district office’s parking lot to reach Thorp St.
The county’s plan to build a new 5,000-square-foot, eight-office health department building with a drive-through garage at the site of the former county food bank in the 1200 block of E. Main St. was approved Jan. 30 by Marion planning commission members provided an easement agreement was forged between the county and the school district.
Under terms of the agreement school board members signed off on, the county would pay 50% of the pavement cost for an 18-foot-wide section of parking lot running from the health department to Thorp St.
Superintendent Justin Wasmuth said school board members initially were concerned how many parking spaces the egress would eliminate, but it appears it would eliminate only two or three office parking spaces.
The cost of the new building is estimated to be between $1.28 million and $1.5 million. It will include a storm shelter, garage, canopy, 48-kilowatt generator, and limestone façade.