Panel OKs Wabash building plans

CELINA - The design review commission on Thursday night approved the proposed demolition of one of Wabash Mutual Telephone's buildings on East Market Street and the expansion of the remaining structure.

Tasked with reviewing proposed changes to building exteriors, the commission met for only the third time in five years and has only two members - Tom Hitchcock, also the city safety service director, and Brandi DuBry. They agreed to the proposal on Thursday during a four-minute meeting.

Wabash's Celina facility, which houses customer service and network personnel, is located at 118. E. Market St.

Cally Lange of Revival Design Studio, a Celina architecture firm that's leading the project, outlined the project to Hitchcock and DuBry.

Lange said the plan involves razing "the existing smaller frame structure adjacent to Wabash's brick building," and constructing an addition to the west side of the brick building, to be clad in charcoal-colored metal siding, "which is going to be accessible from within the brick structure."

The project also includes renovating the upstairs and downstairs interior, removing the awning, reworking the storefront and installing new signs and windows.

Parking will remain unchanged, according to Lange.

After studying the plans and listening to Lange, Hitchcock and DuBry approved the proposal.

"We've outgrown the facilities a bit," Wabash president and chief executive officer Mike Boley told the newspaper. "We're going to do some work at our Wabash location first, so maybe (we'll) start later this summer.

Lange estimated that construction will take nine months.

At the company's Wabash site, work will begin in the next few months on a new warehouse to store supplies and equipment, Boley said.

The company, he added, employs 25 people, 18 of whom work at the Celina office. One new position likely will be created as part of the Celina building renovation project.

"I'm excited to see Wabash expand in downtown," mayor Jeff Hazel said, noting Wabash Mutual has been a good corporate citizen and neighbor to surrounding businesses. "We're very pleased that they're staying and investing in downtown."

Wabash Mutual is Mercer County's only subscriber-owned communications company, according to its website.

According to Hazel, Thursday's was only the commissions third session in five years. Since its last meeting, several members have either moved out of town or joined other commissions that render them ineligible to serve, he said.

Hazel said he soon will call for a community betterment committee meeting, consisting of city council members, to discuss the future of the design review commission.

The design review committee, he said, lacks teeth to enforce its decisions. Unless council members would pass a "very comprehensive set of rules, the committee will continue to lack any real authority, he said.

Hazel and Hitchcock in August 2013 proposed abolishing the commission because they felt it impeded business owners from pursuing improvements.

The designation and the commission were required as part of two, $400,000 downtown revitalization grants awarded to the city in recent years from the state. They were set up in 2007 under former mayor Sharon LaRue's administration.

Since those funds have been spent and no new grant applications are planned, Hazel and Hitchcock proposed dissolving the extra level of bureaucracy.

Hazel told the newspaper on Thursday night he was also concerned the commission bases decisions on the "subjective nature of aesthetics."

Having said that, Hazel noted the city needs some consistency and conformity in facades to preserve the downtown's historic nature while still allowing for individuality.