December 29, 2005

By Diane Chiddister

In a report to Village Council, the ad hoc Caboose Task Force recommended that one Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad caboose, located near the bikepath on Corry Street, be restored and placed near the Yellow Springs Train Station as a museum or information center. The task force also recommended that a community group be established to oversee the restoration project.

The task force presented its recommendations at Council’s meeting on Dec. 19.

“Yellow Springs has a long history with the railroad. If we didn’t have the railroad we wouldn’t be what we are,” said task force member Bill Bebko. “It’s important that we have a reminder of the railroad.”

The recommendation was part of the final report of the Caboose Task Force, which Bebko presented to Council. The Task Force members met every other week from August to November 2005 to identify what to do with the two cabooses, which the Village purchased from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 1980.

In their current location, the cars were leased for many years to Caboose Bike & Skate, a bike and skate rental business. In 2003, Council tried to limit the scope of Caboose Bike & Skate’s business to match what Council said was the Village’s original intent in the 1980s to allow a rental business to operate in the structures. Council, however, later reversed that decision when it determined that it could not legally change its lease with Caboose Bike & Skate.

Last year, the owners of Caboose Bike & Skate, Chris and Doug Roberts, liquidated their inventory and sought a buyer for their lease. The cabooses have been empty since then.

Since that time, both railroad cars have suffered some damage from water leakage, the task force reported, and some restoration will be necessary.

However, the report concluded that both cabooses are structurally sound. One of the cabooses is in better shape, and that is the one the group recommends restoring. The other caboose could be sold or leased and moved to another location, the report stated.

The task force recommended that the restored caboose be used either as a museum or as an information center, possibly taking over some of the tasks of the Chamber of Commerce. The task force said in its report that it did not consider commercial uses for either caboose, although Dan Young has indicated interest in acquiring a caboose for his business, Young’s Jersey Dairy.

The task force, whose work is considered finished with its final report, also recommended that a group of interested community members be formed to implement the recommendations. Council members suggested that the Yellow Springs Historical Society might have some interest in the project.

The main cost involved with the caboose restoration would be incurred in moving the car to the Train Station site. Although the distance is not far, the caboose weighs 13 tons and will need to be jacked up and rolled sideways to the new site, Bebko said. A further complication is that Village electrical lines are now on top of the cabooses, and downtown power would need to be shut off for several hours for the move, according to Bebko.

Bebko did not offer an estimate as to the cost of the move, although he said that a Xenia group spent about $6,500 to move a similar caboose from Carillon Park in Dayton to a Xenia site, a much greater distance.

The value of each Yellow Springs caboose is estimated to be anywhere from $8,500 to $65,000, based on recent sales of similar railroad cars, according to the report. Task force and Council members agreed that they hoped the caboose restoration could take place without the use of public funds.

Appointed members to the Caboose Task Force were Bebko, who represented Planning Commission; Michael Cannon, a former employee of the Chamber of Commerce; Karen Wintrow, a member of the Design Advisory Commission who is now on Council; and community members Hardy Trolander, Hugh Livingston and Ron Schmidt. Invited participants in the task force were Scott Hammond and former Village Manager David Heckler. The group also received contributions from architect Ted Donnell, Ed Dressler, Selwa Whitesell and Dan Young, according to its report.

Council member Judith Hempfling suggested that Council not act on the recommendations immediately, but give the community time to discuss possible uses for the caboose.

Other Council members agreed, although Bruce Rickenbach said that because moving the caboose might be easier in winter when the ground is hard, the caboose project should be addressed before too long.

“We should try to move along with relative dispatch, and also give time for input from the community,” he said.

Council also agreed to seek villagers to serve on the caboose project committee in order to get the process moving.

In other Council business:

• Council members unanimously passed the second readings of ordinances approving parts of two new housing developments, Thistle Creek and Glenwood Springs.

The second reading on Thistle Creek gave final approval to the first phase of the development, to be built by Cathy Phillips and Jonathan Brown of Phillips-Brown Homes. The first phase includes 22 homes on 4.2 acres off King Street.

Thistle Creek is being developed under the Village’s Planned Unit Development ordinance.

“I want to appreciate Phillips-Brown corporation in terms of their forward thinking in their use of the new PUD,” said Hempfling, who also suggested that Council discuss the PUD process with Brown and Phillips.

The second reading for the Glenwood Springs development approved the final plat plan for the second section of the new subdivision, which includes the construction of five houses and a stormwater detention basin on three acres on the south end of town. Council approved the development’s first section, which included 35 homes on 17.5 acres, in July. Glenwood Springs is being developed by Purple Sage, LLC, of Beavercreek.

• Council approved an employment agreement with the new Village manager, Eric Swansen of Jackson Hole, Wyo. Swansen was offered the manager’s position after he interviewed for the job the weekend of Dec. 9–11. He will begin his new duties on Jan. 17.

Under the terms of the agreement, Swansen will be paid $75,000 a year, plus benefits, along with moving expenses up to $10,000. The contract also includes a commitment from Swansen to serve as village manager until December 2010.

• Council president Jocelyn Hardman swore in Council member Kathryn Chase, who came in fourth in the November election. Chase was appointed by Council to fill in the unexpired term of Mary Alexander, who resigned from Council after the election due to health reasons.

• Council agreed to reschedule its budget workshops at its Jan. 17 meeting. Council will approve a temporary 2006 budget at its Jan. 3 meeting.

• Council appointed Alice McKinney to the Yellow Springs Library Commission.

Contact: dchiddister@ysnews.com