PORT ALLEGANY – The Port Allegany United Methodist Church and
the S.W. Smith Memorial Public Library Board hope to finalize an
agreement “as soon as possible,” whereby the library board will
acquire the former Evangelical United Methodist Church properties
on Pine Street as the site of a new library building.

Pastor Randy Headley of the United Methodist Church said that
when United Methodist Church congregations merge, the local
trustees and congregation of the merged church are given the
responsibility of determining the best uses for that property which
will no longer be used by the church.

Headley said that, according to the United Methodist Book of
Discipline, that which can be used for the benefit of the merged
church body in its ministries is retained for that purpose.
Proceeds of the sale of no longer used church property are placed
in a capital fund, which helps pay for the care and improvement of
the local church’s buildings. Technically, local church real estate
is owned by the Western Pennsylvania Conference of the United
Methodist Church.

Headley said there is a “verbal agreement” between the local
church or its trustees and the library board. Both entities have
attorneys involved in getting all the details in place.

The price of the former Evangelical United Methodist properties
will be $18,000, Headley said. The deal will include both the
church building and the parsonage, with their lots. The property
will be paid for in 36 monthly payments of $500.

Costs of demolition and compliance with environmental
regulations will be borne by the library.

The library board and the church had reached an informal
agreement before the library’s governing body received an offer
from long-time Mayor Joe DeMott and his wife Suzanne. They had
owned and operated businesses in the community for many years, and
still own a commercial building on the corner of Main and Maple
streets.

The DeMotts had offered to make a gift of that property to the
library board for use as a library, since it would provide a
considerably larger floor space than the present library building
on Church Street, and is centrally located.

The offer was considered by the library board at a special
meeting held Jan. 9, but in the course of “a lot of discussion, we
listed good points and bad points,” according to board secretary
Dorothy Anderson. The board’s decision was to thank the DeMotts for
their offer, but decline it.

In a letter of that date, the board told DeMotts of their
reasoning, in bullet points:

* “We would be trading one old building for another;

* Because of Main Street traffic, we feel the location of the
church property is safer for children to visit especially if they
are riding their bikes;

* “We do not want to be in the rental business any longer than
we have to be to pay for the property. It would be impractical for
us to have such a large building without renting parts of it;

* “We want to incorporate an enclosed parking place for the
bookmobile;

* “We are looking forward to planning a building to our
specifications with windows for natural lighting and our own
parking area; and

*ð”The most often mentioned objection is that we don’t want to
renege on the ‘gentleman’s agreement’ made with the United
Methodist Church. We have made a commitment that we expect to
keep.”

The letter went on to say, “It was pointed out that we would be
filling a potentially empty spot on Main Street that might promote
activity downtown. We hope that, after the new streetscape is
completed, you will be able to find a commercial buyer, or at least
a new tenant for that spot, but we do not find it suitable for our
needs. We do thank you for your generous offer and we hope that you
will continue to support the library.”

Joe DeMott said that he and his wife “respect the library
board’s decision.” Their intention had been to benefit the
community, and if the building could be used as a library, that
would be one way to accomplish that goal.

The plan is to have the former church and parsonage lots
combined into one, before building a new structure. This would make
it easier to use the site while complying with set-back provisions
in the borough zoning ordinance.

Demolition of the former Evangelical United Methodist church
building will be done with care, for several reasons, Headley
noted. Some of the stained glass windows will be utilized in the
combined congregation’s current building at the corner of North
Main Street and Tabor Avenue. The library board hopes to install at
least one of the windows in its new building. Taking the windows
out of their present openings and storing them, then placing them
in new openings, will be done by professionals in stained glass
installation.

Asbestos present in the buildings will have to be assessed as to
location and quantity. Asbestos containing materials must be
removed, packaged, transported and disposed of according to strict
federal and state regulations,

How rapidly the “plot development” of the venture can progress
is unclear, but Headley said he estimates that the sale can be
finalized within two months.