Minutes 03-19-2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Carrboro Board has not been looking at this potential property as one that would have the library on the park part of the property. She suggested that it be added onto the list of potential sites to be reviewed on April 9. Patrick McDonough said he has been a resident of Orange County for 13 years and he is a parent and is speaking on his own behalf. He said there is room for improvement on the site selection process. He shared some highlights of an email he sent previously and said that the staff criteria are painfully biased against urban locations. He said that a minimum acreage standard is not needed, rather a minimum square foot to fulfill library functions. He said that the Board might look at whether the square footage can be allowed under the height requirements. He said that multiple uses in buildings can gain efficiencies that make up for larger staff needs. He said that if there is a fiscal issue, then it should be set forth as a money limit, but not a size limit. He noted that there are plenty of shared parking options at other libraries in the area. He referenced transit access and said that it is important that a spot with good access is used. He said that the library is more needed in a lower median income area and said that he would like to see more urban sites considered. He referenced his website, www.citybeautiful2l.com Gary Giles referenced the feasibility study mentioned by Patrick McDonough and said the study proved the site could work. He said he hoped the board would review the report. He said he appreciates the comments made about the changing nature of libraries and noted that the digital age is here and is shrinking the need for traditional libraries. He said the he had just gotten back from the Hunt Library in Raleigh and it is a grand library but has not accounted for the digital age. He said that the library planning reports do not account for this new digital age. He said that the urban sites have the advantage of having Carrboro contribute the cost of the land, because it is a public site. He said there are several sites where no-rezoning will be required, there is existing infrastructure, and no trees need to be cut down. He said all of these things save money and the urban concept should be looked at. Nerys Levy, with the Friends of the Carrboro Library, said she has been working on this project for 23 years and she commended the work being done to serve the underserved. She noted the population of 35,000 underserved citizens in southern and southwestern Orange County. She said there are plenty of librarians and experts to help with the planning to make this happen. She said the decision needs to be made soon because 15,000 people in Orange County cannot read or write. She said this is a serious situation and there are 7 generations of underserved people. She said that the Friends of Carrboro Library has lost 64 members as a result of this lengthy process. She said that a decision is needed now. Marilee Teague, resident of Bingham Township, said that a full service library would be redundant to the Chapel Hill library. She noted that her measurement of the distance from one of the proposed sites in Carrboro to the Chapel Hill Library is only 3.4 miles. She said that she feels this idea needs to be reconceived and the $8 million capital expenditure would be better invested in another way. She said that the expenses of a library of this size could be used for things such as bringing a dental clinic back to Carrboro and improving schools, rather than duplicating services. Chair Jacobs asked Lucinda Munger to explain the Library Strategic plan and timeline. Lucinda Munger said this will come before the board in May and will provide the Board of Commissioners a draft for discussion. She said this is the first one ever done and the purpose of the plan is to seek the input of the residents of Orange County on what they would like in a 21 st century library. This will help create a better vision of what the residents of Orange