People Inc. debating worth of Mennonite Meeting House
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

The appraisal of the Mennonite Meeting House is in - $220,000 - and People Inc. wants to buy it. But for how much is not yet known.

James M. Boles, president and chief executive officer, said the company is still interested in moving its Museum of disABILITY to the house, located at the corner of Main Street and North Forest Road, even after all the hurdles it has jumped with the Amherst Town Board.

After a lease agreement fell through, People Inc. proposed buying the structure.

"We're proposing to put in an offer for the proposed amount," he said, adding that the company has paid $37,000 to move the files currently stored in the structure and for renovations to the new storage space.

He said the appraisal was in the range they were expecting, but in reality the land is worth more than the Mennonite Meeting House. Labeled as a historic site, the structure is protected by law and users are subject to restricted uses.

The allowed uses include a church, museum or community gathering area.

Boles said members of the Town Board want more than the appraised price - in the range of $263,000. In addition to the $37,000 already paid, the company would be looking at a total price tag of $300,000 to purchase it.

The estimated cost in repairs, including the roof, is $70,000.

At Monday's work session, Boles was among those presenting the company's proposal.

He said that Council Member Bill Kindel has agreed to put a resolution on Monday's agenda to accept the proposal. During the meeting, Kindel said he was in the process of drafting the resolution.

"I would like to see a vote on it. We don't want to start over again," he said, adding that if this plan for proposal fails, the company will consider dropping its interest in the site.

The issue is not three years old, and Boles said People Inc.'s museum is suffering.

"It's holding up the progress of the museum; it's going to have to move. This delay is holding up grants and fundraising efforts because we can't articulate what we are doing with the museum," he said.

Boles said a proposal will be on the Monday, Dec. 17 meeting agenda but at press time he was still working out a final figure. He said he was under the impression that most board members would not support a proposal for the appraised price.

"We would really like to have it, it's an ideal spot, a great location," he said, adding that if People Inc. ever decided to stop using it as a museum, a clause would be included that would revert the structure back to the town.

Those opposed to People Inc.'s plan want the Mennonite Meeting House to stay town owned. Council Member Dan Ward is among those against it.

He has stated in a letter that People Inc. is "attempting to misuse, if not dismantle, our town's history... . I have proposed turning the structure into a Mennonite Museum - nothing could be truer to our mission of its preservation than that."

He added that leasing or selling the structure is not appropriate Town Board action.

Boles claims his office has received 200 letters of support for its proposed plan.

One of those was Bruna Black of East Amherst who asked the board to vote yes to allowing People Inc. to purchase the structure.

The structure had been storing Town Hall records.

The board will vote on the resolution at the 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 17 meeting at Town Hall, 5583 Main St., Williamsville.