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Orange County Library Long-Range Facility Planning <br />Facility Size <br />In determining the proposed size of the facility, its proposed functions were taken into <br />account as well as the design population. The consultant used two methods to determine the <br />size: a formula-based worksheet designed by Anders Dahlgren, recognized library building <br />consultant, and a more detailed worksheet, prepared by the consultant, which allocates space <br />to library functions and areas. In each case, a basic set of requirements was used that was <br />determined by considering the design population and North Carolina standards, including <br />needs and desires identified in planning sessions, addressing needs of Durham Technical <br />Community College students, looking at statistics for other libraries in the state, and <br />reviewing the building program for the Chapel Hill Public Library. See Appendix A. <br />Standard guidelines for space allocation were applied to these requirements. Appendix B <br />summarizes space requirements using Dahlgren's worksheet. The spreadsheet in Appendix C <br />breaks down the space by function and provides a tool for applying alternative space and <br />service scenarios. <br />Both calculation methods used indicate that a building of approximately 65,000 square feet <br />would be required to serve through the year 2025. The consultant also calculated the <br />required size for the alternative design population of 65,000, mentioned on page 12. Using <br />this scenario, a facility of at least 48,000 square feet would be required. <br />Location in the Waterstone Development <br />The County Commissioners requested that the Task Force investigate the possibility of co- <br />locating a public library on land being purchased for the Orange County Center of'Durham <br />Technical Community College. <br />The location in Waterstone Development offers a number of advantages. The location is less <br />than three miles from the present central library facility. It is in an area targeted for <br />development by the Orange County Planning Department and will be accessible using public <br />transportation. The development plan includes single family and multi-family housing, <br />offices, a day care center, a continuing care retirement center, retail establishments, <br />restaurants, and a hotel. Users could walk and bicycle to the library from the homes and <br />businesses in the development. The area already is a destination point for Orange County <br />residents due to nearby retail establishments. The Waterstone development will bolster that <br />identity. A library in such a location has the potential for heavy use. The presence of DTCC's <br />Orange County Center would contribute an additional built-in user population of community <br />college faculty and students. Also planned is a "middle college," with a student population of <br />100-150 high school students, another built-in user population. <br />A very vocal concern expressed during planning sessions about the Waterstone site is that it <br />would remove the library, a significant public amenity, from its downtown Hillsborough <br />location contributing to Hillsborough's becoming "a doughnut community;" i.e. empty in the <br />center with all attractions on the perimeter. This concern is addressed with the <br />recommendation to co-locate a neighborhood branch library with the proposed Orange <br />County Heritage Center if the central library is constructed in Waterstone. <br />a? <br />14