Image

February 16, 2014

 

It will be too costly for Plympton-Wyoming to convert an old church into council chambers so the building is about to go up for sale again.

When the church came up for sale in 2013, council felt it was an important asset and scooped it up. The town purchased the former Presbyterian church on Main Street about eight months ago for $145,000.

The land connected with the church stretches into the parking lot which Foodland customers and municipal staff use. There had been a friendly agreement allowing the grocery store, the church and the municipality to jointly use the lot with the municipality plowing the snow in the winter.  Napper says council was concerned what would happen to that agreement had the church been sold to an outside party.

Mayor Lonny Napper hoped Plympton-Wyoming could secure the parking for the businesses and the current municipal office and perhaps convert what he calls one of the nicest buildings in town into council chambers.

Municipal staff looked into the idea and found it would cost at least $400,000 to renovate the building and make it wheelchair accessible.

“Basically it is the elevators and stuff to make it handicap accessible that make it so expensive,” he says. “It was just getting to expensive for our needs and we felt we could make due with what we have for now…

“Unfortunately the economic times, with policing costs going up and our funding being cut, just don’t allow us to do this.”

Napper says town staff is now looking at how to sever the parking from the church and after that is complete, the church will be back on the market. “We’re just hoping to find a buyer who will do it justice.”

“It wasn’t something council took lightly; we looked at all the avenues. The parking was the big issue – hopeful we can market it to someone who can make us proud.”

 

 

 

Share This

Image
Front Page

Bluewater Health receives $125K donation

April 17, 2025

Matt Gordon says a $125,000 gift from The Gordon Foundation and Kel-Gor Limited to Bluewater Health is, in part a recognition of a “few exceptional individuals.” The Bluewater Health Foundation announced the gift Thursday. “We are proud to make this donation to Bluewater Health, not only to support the hospital’s continuedexcellence but also to recognize a few exceptional individuals whose

Read More

Image
Front Page

Easter Bunny break in Petrolia

April 17, 2025

The Independent It appears the Easter Bunny is taking a little break in Petrolia before his big weekend. He was seen Thursday morning on Petrolia Line in front of St. Paul’s United Church greeting cars and people alike.

Read More

Image
Front Page

Strategic voters say they want to oust Marilyn Gladu

April 16, 2025

Cathy Dobson/The Independent Several members of a new group organizing to defeat incumbent MP Marilyn Gladu were among the audience of more than 120 packing the room for an all-candidates meeting Tuesday. They are willing to abandon their traditional party loyalties, they say, if it will mean Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong will be represented in Ottawa by someone other than the CPC candidate.

Read More

Image
Front Page

Plympton-Wyoming will hook into Huron Shores transit

April 15, 2025

Residents have been asking to be involved in the rural transit system since it started Heather Wright/The Independent Rural transit is coming to Plympton-Wyoming. The town will soon partner with Lambton Shores, Bluewater and Kettle and Stony Point with the Huron Shores Transit System. The buses began running the roads of North Lambton in 2020, taking residents into Sarnia for

Read More