Head Start is two steps closer to finding a home

KCBY, Apr 8, 2009

COOS BAY, Ore. -After nearly two years at a stand still, Oregon Coast Community Action is moving full steam ahead to find a new site for Head Start to call home.

The city of Coos Bay received a grant back in 2007 to fund a new Head Start facility, but their chosen location at LaClair and Thomas Streets never moved forward. Now, ORCCA, with the help of the city, has two new locations in mind, either a residential area at the North End of Morrison Street or back on LaClair Street, but this time, at the Verizon location.

That site is attractive because it’s already zoned to handle further community action expansion, including a Food Resource Center and a Child and Family Resource Center

Mary Schoen-Clark with ORCCA says, “I would say that our first choice right now would to locate ourselves on the Verizon property because it’s zoned and our project could be completed much more efficiently.”

But time is a factor. Schoen-Clark says they need to get moving because leases are running out on several of their sites. Also, time is running out to use their grant funding.

“We’ve already spent a significant amount of time on the original LaClair property and now out time is getting short,” says Schoen-Clark. “In order to not lost the funding and say on track we need to proceed quickly.”

ORCCA has begun negotiations with the state for the LaClair Street property and in the meantime, the city is working on a conditional use application for the Morrison Street site.

http://www.kcby.com/news/local/42723657.html