Letter:" Why does bathroom renovation cost the same as a condo?

Posted 10/19/21

To the editor: I would like to point out a major inconsistency between the two ballot questions.  The school bond asks voters to approve $21.4 million, of which $4.5 million (is for) for …

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Letter:" Why does bathroom renovation cost the same as a condo?

Posted

To the editor:
I would like to point out a major inconsistency between the two ballot questions. 
The school bond asks voters to approve $21.4 million, of which $4.5 million (is for) for renovating the bathrooms in four schools. That is about $600,000 per remodeled bathroom.
Church Community Housing is saying approve Question 2 and they will provide the seniors a 2,000-square-foot condo which includes a commercial kitchen, gym, two offices, a thrift shop and storage room for a cost under $600,000.
The school bathroom walls, floors, ceilings, electrical systems, plumbing, and septic system all exist already. The existing rooms are only being updated. The condo does not exist and would be a brand-new building —including a commercial kitchen, built from scratch. Yet the condo will cost about the same as updating one of the school’s bathrooms.
The school bond bathroom updates are either way overpriced, or the condo is way underpriced — or maybe both! How can a voter approve either ballot with anomalies like these not being addressed?
Vote ‘no’ on both ballot questions!

Roseanne Martin

2752 East Main Road 

Portsmouth

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