School board will vote to purchase property at corner of Vine and Lawn

The elementary playground is growing again.

On Monday the Bluffton school board will vote to approve the purchase of the Heath Mikesell and Heather Rutan property, located on the corner of Lawn Avenue and Vine Street.

The price for the property is $135,000.

At its June meeting, the school board announced the purchase of the adjoining property on North Lawn Avenue owned by John R. Skelly, uncle of Heath and Heather. That purchase price was $110,000.

According to Greg Denecker, Bluffton superintendent, the houses will be razed to expand the elementary playground.

“Our intention is to make the properties a green space in the playground,” he told The Icon.

In June he told The Icon that once the project is completed, the current driveway between that property and school will also revert to playground space.

With Monday’s property purchase the school board will own the entire block.

Additional items are on Monday’s agenda. Those are posted in the board’s agenda, attached at the bottom of this story.