metro >> on the cover Bergman Porretta Eye Center All Eyes On Eagle EXCEPTIONAL EYECARE WITH A CLEAR FOCUS fe sr - a Sr 'It it 1111 -111- RONALD H. BERGMAN, M.D. Lawsuit is filed over the way school was sold to Islamic Cultural Association. ANTHONY C PORRETTA, M.D. ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE ARRIVAL OF GARY D. BERGMAN, M.D. • Comprehensive Eye Exams • Laser Vision Correction (LASIK) Evaluations • Glaucoma & Diabetic Eye Exams S. Treatments • 'No Stitch, No Patch" Cataract Surgery Evaluations ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS & MOST FORMS OF INSURANCE CALL FOR AN IMMEDIATE APPOINTMENT 29990 Northwestern Hwy. Farmington Hills, MI 48334 248-538-6463 I www.bergmanporretta.com For Inpatient and Outpatient Rehab, you have Fox Run! We offer top-notch care, including: • All private rooms with half baths • Full-time physical, speech and occupational therapists specializing in the needs of older adults • Cable TV and phone in every room • Coverage through Medicare and other insurance Remember, you don't have to be a Fox Run resident to rehab here. For more information, call 248-419-0982. Rena ssance gardens at Fox Run TheCareExperts,corn 7699619 12 August 11 6 2011 Inpatient & Outpatient Rehab Assisted Living Dementia Care • Nursing Care The empty Eagle School has turned into a source of controversy. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Eagle was not for sale — and later that the board had voted to demolish the building, along with four others in the district. The suit claims, in paragraph 24, that "the Board's approval of the Purchase Agreement was done with- out an approved method and proce- dure for marketing Eagle Elementary, without an open and public process, without obtaining competitive bids for Eagle Elementary, without analyz- ing the community impacts of the sale of Eagle Elementary and without any due diligence, method or proce- dure at all." Attorney Robert Davis of Davis, Listman and Brennan of Mt. Clemens, who filed the lawsuit, con- firmed that one outcome could be the enforcement of what the filing called a "binding vote" to demolish the building. "If they are able to get by that issue, then we want to see them implement a process whereby the sale follows some procedure Davis said. The ICA would then be able to bid again, along with anyone else who chooses to do so. "We don't want more secret negotiations. The process should be public." The school district released a state- ment by David Ruhland, assistant superintendent of administrative sup- port services, which states, in part: "While the matter has been referred to legal counsel for handling, the District is confident that all of the appropriate steps were taken in the handling of the offer to purchase. More importantly, the handling of the offer of purchase was done in a manner that honored the fiduciary duties of the board and kept the interests of the school district and the community at the forefront. It is unfortunate that the sale is being challenged, but the Board believes that the legal process will support the deci- sion to sell!' According to Sara Roediger, senior planner for West Bloomfield Township, where the property in question is located, a "get-to-know- you meeting" was held with ICA board members in early July, but nothing has been formally submitted to the township to start the process. According to the purchase agreement, the ICA has 120 days to finalize the sale, during which it would likely want approval of its architectural and other plans by the township's planning commission and board of trustees to ensure it could use the property as it would like. The district did not confirm its understanding of when the 120-day period began, but considering the vote was taken early morning June 15, it would likely end no later than Oct. 12, unless an extension were granted. Roediger said time could be a problem, "depending on how com- plete the plans are and how many sets of revisions are needed!' "In the absolutely best-case sce- nario, with everything going perfect:' she said it could be approved by late October or early November. To meet this time frame, notice of a public hearing before the planning commis- sion would have to be given by Aug. 24 for a Sept. 13 hearing. Delays could put the time frame "between late October and next spring',' she said. 1J