Please help save Mrs. Welch's home.  We can use all the support of our community to help save it to allow her to live out her final years of her life in her home that her husband built for her to raise their family in. 

There is a motion hearing is scheduled for Thursday at 10am at the temporary court building in Kay County District Court in an eminent domain case filed by the Ponca City School District against Dana, Fred and Francis Welch concerning the Welch property located at 600 east Commanche.

Eminent Domain is the right of a government or its agent to expropriate property for public use, with payment of compensation.

In October, voters passed a $49.74 million bond project including $10 million of CARES funds that is being used for school district improvements including a multi-purpose indoor space. (see story)

During the April 11 school board meeting, the board approved a resolution to authorize the filing of two eminent domain actions to acquire real property known as Lots 1 through 3 and Lots 22 through 24, Block 59, Cross Addition to the City of Ponca City for the use and possession of the district.

In a press release issued by PCPS, Adam Leaming, Director of Operations for PCPS, said the district has been voluntarily purchasing property for 15 years after realizing they were landlocked. “The district has also worked with community stakeholders in presenting a plan for the future use of that land,” said Leaming.

On Oct. 12, a total of 1,494 voters (80.98 percent) approved a seven-year bond package which included a new multipurpose indoor space and a new outdoor soccer field to be located between Fifth and Seventh Streets. “The district has made three different attempts to purchase the properties since October … one unofficially and two officially,” said Leaming.

“Students participating in extra-curricular activities has increased in the last 15 years,” said Leaming. “With this additional space, our students will be able to move out of locker rooms under the south side of Sullins Stadium and into the new locker rooms in the multipurpose facility. Doing this now allows time for planning and design to continue on schedule. The district needs to be ready to rezone the properties, relocate utilities, abandon alleyways and streets in order to break ground on this property by Jan. 1, 2023.”

A civil case was filed on May 20, 2022 in Kay County District Court by the school district against the Welch family.

The attorney for the Welch family, Harlan Hentges, issued a statement reporting that, 92-year-old Frances, has lived in the home since it was built by her husband in 1950 and that she now suffers from Alzheimers and is being cared for by her son, Fred.

Hentges said the school board threatened to take the Welch home by eminent domain in November. 

“Repeated requests by the Welch family to meet and discuss a cooperative resolution with the school board to avoid harming Mrs. Welch’s welfare, or the future of the project, have been rejected,” said Hentges. “Instead, the school board suggested the family move Mrs. Welch to a nursing home.”

Hentges said that since 2007, previous school boards assured the Welch family that they would not be forced from their property. 

Hentges said Mrs. Welch is the last remaining original homeowner. “The current school board has chosen to break its promise to her and is taking her to court to remove her from her home,” said Hentges. “The School Board will not discuss or explain why Mrs. Welch has to be forced from her home now.”

“Anyone who has cared for a parent with dementia knows how traumatizing it can be to change surroundings,” said Fred Welch. “As a son, my job is to protect my mother by allowing her to live out her days in a familiar place.”

Hentges and Fred will represent Frances at a hearing scheduled for June 30 at 10 a.m. in Kay County District Court. Both are hoping the case will be dismissed.

Hentges is filing an objection to appointment of commissioners today in district court.

In the objection, Hentges claims that the school board has not attempted in good faith to acquire the property but instead has subjected them to an oppressive campaign of dishonest manipulation.

The 45 page court filing contains exhibits of communications between school officials and the Welch family and highlights what Hentges calls false statements made by officials.

One of the exhibits filed in Kay County District Court by Harlan Hentges on behalf of the Welch family.

PCPS Superintendent Shelley Arrott said, “We understand the process of eminent domain will be a hardship for the families involved; However, we are trying to make this process as convenient as possible for the property owners as well as planning ahead to serve the numerous students these facilities will impact for years to come. The district has willingly made generous offers to ensure improved accommodations for the families and we are following a methodical process to accomplish this task,” said Arrott. 

Attorney Michael Vanderburg is representing the school district.

Hentges said that the Welch family has been a part of Ponca City since the Land Run and that The Welch brick factory was the first manufacturing business in Ponca City. Most of Ponca City’s historic buildings were made with Welch company bricks and the Welch family of masons constructed many of those historic structures. Some of these buildings include: Ponca City’s First City Hall, built in 1902, Saint Joseph’s Hospital, Temple Emanuel, Ponca City Library, Poncan Theater, Kay County Courthouse, Ponca City Nursing Home, Braman School, Albright United Methodist Church, The Nazarene Church, Saint Mary’s Church Hentges also represents Beverly Phillips who owns the second property sought by PCPS.