By Miles Layton

PLYMOUTH — A long-vacant public asset in Creswell took center stage Monday night as Washington County commissioners held a public hearing to gather information, hear proposals and address rumors surrounding the future of the former Creswell School campus.

The hearing, held during the county’s regular commission meeting, drew community members, nonprofit leaders and county staff to discuss possible reuse options for the school property at 115 Middle St., which includes former elementary and high school buildings, athletic fields and parking areas.

County Economic Development Director Kelly Chesson opened the presentation by congratulating a county employee and briefly lightening the mood before shifting to the purpose of the meeting.

“What I am here to do today is continue on with some of our work that we’ve been doing with our vacant school sites,” Chesson said.

He reminded commissioners that the county recently went through a similar process with the former Roper school, which is now the Washington County Community Center.

“What we wanted to do today was to have a public hearing so that some of the parties who are interested in occupying that school site will have the opportunity to speak,” Chesson said. “We also wanted to give you all an update on some things we’ve been doing as well as the process on that as well.”

Chesson emphasized that Monday’s hearing was informational only and that no decisions were being made.

“So the purpose of us being here today is to provide an informational overview of the vacant school site, specifically the ones that are in Creswell,” he said. “We are here to share our own information and categories of interest that have been expressed to date. We are going to conduct a required public hearing and receive public comments on the use of the facility. We’ll also allow the board to ask questions and discuss anything you desire. And lastly, no staff recommendation or action is requested today. This will be information only.”

Chesson presented an aerial overview of the property, noting that it consists of approximately 13.45 acres and includes multiple buildings, parking areas and athletic fields.

“This was a former public school that is owned by the county,” he said. “There is some partial active use with the Washington County Early College High School being there.”

He described the Creswell campus as a major opportunity for Washington County.

“This site is a significant public asset with a huge redevelopment potential,” Chesson said. “It represents an opportunity for us to return this property to productive public use. It can generate tax base or lease revenue, and it could also support economic development, housing or community services.”

At the same time, Chesson said maintaining the vacant buildings comes at a cost.

“As a building sits and it’s vacant, more and more deterioration happens because it’s not being utilized,” he said. “The county cost to operate this building would be astronomical to an already distressed county.”

He cited building age, general condition, utilities, access and infrastructure limitations as challenges. Chesson noted that accessibility was a factor in choosing the former Roper school for redevelopment rather than the Creswell or Plymouth campuses.

“Roper was a lot easier to navigate as a facility versus Plymouth High School or Creswell Elementary and Creswell High School,” he said.

Chesson outlined several reuse categories that have emerged through community conversations, stressing that they were illustrative rather than prescriptive.

“Some of these range from being an educational or workforce training facility,” he said. “It could be a healthcare or social service type facility, senior living or mixed-use redevelopment, light industrial business or nonprofit use or community-oriented or institutional use.”

The county has received informal inquiries from a range of interested parties, including private developers, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, government entities and limited liability companies.

“Initial proposals have been received, but staff has not solicited, evaluated or endorsed any at this time,” Chesson said.

To prepare for the possibility that no proposals move forward, the county has issued a request for proposals to professionally market the property.

“This is Washington County trying to have a little bit of foresight with this property,” Chesson said. “We are going to solicit qualified buyers or leasees through whatever firm that we hire, if you so choose. We’ll also maintain transparency and fairness with us using an outside firm or a third party.”

The RFP is due Jan. 30 at 5 p.m.

Before public comment began, a commissioner raised concerns about misinformation circulating in the community.

“I need to have this entered into the record,” Commissioner Carol Phelps said. “Because yesterday at church, I was told that it has already been sold.”

Chesson responded immediately.

“That’s interesting,” he said.

The commissioner continued, “We need to make sure that gets in the public record. It has not, at this time, been sold.”

Phelps confirmed the clarification.

Public comment began with Creswell native Shivon Spear, who introduced himself as a lifelong resident and founder of Brothers With Motion, a local community group formed in October 2024.

“I’m from Creswell — born and raised,” Spear said. “My mom, my grandma, granddaddy, everybody born and raised in Creswell. I’m 34 years old, and I’ve been the store manager at Do It Columbia for the past six years. I’m a proud husband and father of three beautiful children.”

Spear said he created Brothers With Motion to strengthen the local community.

“I created this group to make a positive impact in our community while uplifting my brothers along the way, because we can’t truly help others unless we help each other first,” he said.

He described the organization as a group of 19 men, all from Creswell, focused on family and community service.

“In our first 15 months, we have organized an Easter egg hunt, a book bag drive, community trash pick-up and a toy giveaway in December,” Spear said. “Through these efforts, we have helped feed over 50 people at our events.”

Spear acknowledged that his group is not currently in a position to purchase or operate the entire school facility.

“At this time, we are not financially able to purchase the school or cover the expenses required to keep it operational,” he said. “However, we believe this will be possible in the near future.”

Initially, the group is seeking access to outdoor and athletic spaces.

“We are seeking access to the school fields or gym to host positive community events such as kickball games, alumni games, food and drink sales and other activities,” Spear said.

He outlined a five-year vision that includes tutoring, mentorship, computer access, adult trade training and youth recreation programs.

“For the gym and fields, we could do one-day camps and summer camps providing training in sports,” Spear said. “Establish adult leagues such as basketball, volleyball, kickball and flag football. Offer youth recreation programs including AAU sports.”

Spear concluded by emphasizing commitment rather than profit.

“If given this opportunity, you would gain a dedicated group of men willing to put in the blood, sweat and tears necessary to ensure success,” he said.

Next, Mavis Hill, executive director of the Tyrrell County Community Development Corporation, presented a proposal focused on resiliency, education and long-term community stability.

She proposed transforming the former Creswell High School into what she called the Creswell Community Resiliency and Innovation Campus.

“This is not a single-purpose project,” Hill said. “It is an integrated approach to improving the quality of life and long-term opportunity for residents of Creswell and the surrounding county.”

The proposal includes community gardens, greenhouses and youth-led agriculture projects.

“This directly addresses food access, health outcomes and self-sufficiency,” Hill said.

She also highlighted climate education as a core component.

“Washington County sits in one of the most environmentally vulnerable regions of the state,” Hill said. “This center will provide education and practical training around flood preparedness, environmental stewardship and climate adaptation.”

Hill said the campus would also include STEM labs and after-school programs tied to rural challenges.

“The campus will provide labs, after-school programs and career exposure tied to real-world rural challenges such as water systems, agriculture and energy,” she said.

Another component, the Life Design Institute, would help residents navigate workforce transitions.

“It focuses on stability, leadership and long-term economic mobility,” Hill said.

She said her organization has experience managing phased occupancy and long-term maintenance.

“We have successfully trained more than 350 youth across the region,” Hill said.

She concluded, “This proposal is about more than a building. It’s about using an existing asset to create measurable benefits for Creswell and Washington County.”

County Manager Curtis Potter also relayed comments from Scott McLaughlin, who was unable to attend.

“He will be sending some information about his vision for the facility,” staff said, describing a mixed-use concept that includes community space and limited assisted or public housing.

With no further comments, commissioners voted unanimously to close the public hearing.

Any future action related to the Creswell School property will return to the board for consideration following the proposal deadline later this month.