NORWOOD – The mayor of Norwood is defending a village plan to clean up the old Norwood Elementary School site and denying an accusation from a citizen that the village wants to build a new street there.

Bob Haggett, 14 Morgan St., sent an email message to Mayor Jim McFaddin and the media complaining about what he thought was a plan to build a road with water and sewer lines connecting New and Harrison streets, which he said were both dead ends.

“If our elected representatives do not want to answer this question, I will. However, I doubt if the local media will print it,” Haggett said.

“Suggest you gain correct information before making accusations,” wrote McFaddin in reply.

“First there is already a street connecting New and Harrison, it is named Clark and exists on deeds and maps of village. The section on both sides of street behind old school has had limited use for years and no taxes have been collected on old school property in years. Water service is available currently,” McFaddin said.

What is happening in that area is the continuing cleanup of the old Norwood Elementary School. The building was essentially abandoned after the unoccupied building was sold in 1996. Some years later, after some attempts to rent out apartments in the building, the building was shut by the Norwood Fire Chief Brian Haggett in 2007, declaring it unsafe for occupation. In November 2009, the building burned in a fire investigators said was “not accidental.”

The Florida company that held the mortgage on the building was not responsive to entreaties from the village for them to take responsibility for cleaning up the property. But a representative of the company eventually came forward and agreed to be billed for cleanup costs.

McFaddin said the first phase of cleanup is complete, amounting to about one-third of the building including asbestos, and a request for bids on the second phase is out. McFaddin says that work could begin in the fall.

“A well thought out plan will be developed for this 11 acres of prime property that will offer recreation and possible housing to improve our tax base and benefit residents at the same time,” McFaddin wrote. “Currently clean up is our mission and development at a later date.”