From one of our Concord Lobbyists we received word that this sign is posted on the grounds of the Mooreland Mansion.

It piqued our curiosity why the Community College would even own the Mooreland Mansion.  How does that even fit into their overall mission?

We contacted Lakeland’s legal counsel, and asked some questions.

Question: The attached sign says no impromptu pictures.  Does that ban the public from taking any pictures of the facility at any time?  Are there any times when the general public can take pictures, or must they pay LCC to take pictures?  Will the public be arrested by the campus police for taking pictures?

Answer: The signs are the result of an issue during the last few prom seasons when large groups of parents and high schoolers would arrive unannounced to take prom photos on the mansion grounds, interrupting scheduled events and causing damage to the property.  As you can imagine, brides do not take kindly to having their special day interrupted with uninvited guests parking on the lawn, roaming the grounds, posing for pictures, and littering during their wedding ceremonies and receptions!

Mooreland is a popular venue and our customers pay to reserve the building and/or grounds for their events. If no event is scheduled, community members are welcome to stroll and take photos* of the building and/or grounds.

To avoid conflicts with scheduled events, we encourage anyone wishing to visit Mooreland Mansion to call first (440-525-7306) to make sure there is nothing else scheduled.  *We require a reservation if the building and/or grounds are being used for commercial purposes or as a backdrop for portraiture, and reserve the right to charge a fee in these instances.

Question:  We would like to determine if this facility is self-sustaining, or must the general fund of LCC cover any short-fall in operating costs?

Answer:   As with any of the buildings owned by the College, our annual budget includes a certain amount for maintenance and utilities.  A significant difference between Mooreland and the balance of our buildings is that we operate Mooreland as a conference and community center, thereby offsetting some of the cost with rental and event revenues from business and community members using the facility.  Additionally, we have benefited from the generosity of numerous volunteers, especially our Mooreland Restoration Garden Club volunteers who work to preserve the beautiful gardens.  They not only do much of the weeding, pruning, and planting themselves, they also oversee the efforts of groups from other organizations such as United Way and St. Gabriel’s Church. They also sponsor a fundraiser every year – a craft fair –that is very popular with the community and enables them to build up monetary reserves for future work.

Question:  What is LCC’s interest in Mooreland Mansion?

Answer:  The history of how the College came to own Mooreland and then decide to renovate it versus demolish it can be found on our website:   https://myportal.lakelandcc.edu/web/about/history-mooreland.

Question:  Are there any classes held in the Mansion? 

Answer:   While there are currently no classes scheduled to be taught at the mansion, instructors have intermittently used the facility as it supported or augmented their teaching or the topic.

(LFC Comment: Thanks to LCC for their transparency on this subject.  If this mansion is a burden on the Lake County taxpayers to maintain it should be sold off to a private enterprise or donated to some historical preservation society.  We do not see this property being part of Lakeland Community College’s overall teaching mission.)

Categories: Lake, Lakeland Community College, Uncategorized

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