Editor

Amid the plans for the renovation and reuse of the Mt. Zion campus, some residents still have questions and are viewing the plans with a skeptical eye.

During last Tuesday night’s meeting, Winnsboro Town Council heard from Faye Johnson, a resident in the Mt. Zion neighborhood who didn’t exactly oppose what the Friends of Mt. Zion Institute (FOMZI) wants to do, but had some questions about the use of the building, and some other concerns.

Johnson’s family has two homes on Bratton Street, which is near the Mt. Zion property. She has previously met with the members of FOMZI and talked about some of her concerns.

“I respect that fact that they are very committed to this project, but I do have questions about it,” Johnson said.

“I am concerned about the total cos of this project, and where is the money coming from? This is a tight economic time right now...I am concerned that there might not be enough money to complete a project once it’s been started.

“I understand that there are some prospective renters of the building, although I don’t believe there’s anything in writing. I wondered if the renters would be paying enough rent to maintain the building?”

She also asked if there was a contingency plan in place, in case the potential renters did not move into the building?

“In a worst-case scenario, the building is renovated and rented, and then, down the road, the tenants leave. What plan is there in place to ensure that building is maintained?”

She said the understands the auditorum is to be restored, and she expressed concerns about what sort of event would be held in there and how late at night they would go on and how much traffic there might be in that case?

Finally, Johnson pointed out that the Mt. Zion building was currently owned by the Town of Winnsboro, “which means it’s actually owned by each of the Towns’ residents, and each of the Towns’ residents have some stake in what is done with that property. Before any action is taken, to change the status of the building (or the ownership of it,) to hold a public meeting so that all of the people in the Town...will have a chance to hear the plans for it and to weigh in with their own opinions,” she said.