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September 14, 2009

Library board could soon have new library site

Sunday, September 13, 2009
Last updated: Monday September 14, 2009, 8:20 AM
BY DAVID M. ZIMMER
Suburban Trends
STAFF WRITER
0 Comments The West Milford Township Public Library's Board of Trustees could soon have a site for a new facility, as the Township Council is expected to vote Sept. 23 on a resolution that would approve the purchase of a property bordering the municipal complex with money available in the library's capital accounts.
If the council approves the resolution, the property at 1470 Union Valley Road, which currently contains a residence as well as a commercial building that houses Trinkets to Treasures and Unique Boutique, will allow the municipal complex to expand by about 25 percent.
Ultimately, the current library, parking lot and surrounding property, estimated at a combined cost of $2 million, will be donated to the township, as long as the new property is approved for a library facility, Township Attorney Fred Semrau said at the Sept. 9 council meeting. The donation from the library board will allow some of the departments currently located in town hall to be moved to the existing library, which is more accessible for those with disabilities than the basement in town hall.
Moreover, the library board has agreed to give the township the library's rights to a portion of the Wallisch Estates, which was purchased as a potential site for a new facility.
Even though the council is involved with the potential acquisition and could help the library receive financing for its project, the funding for the property, real estate transaction costs and bills associated with the construction of a new library will be the responsibility of the library board.
"The board has also been committed to building the new library without any additional taxes, by means of private donations, the use of existing savings, and independent fundraising activities," Library Board President Douglas Ott said in a press release.
While West Milford voters rejected a referendum to spend $4 million on a new library a decade ago, with $200,000 to $300,000 being generated in surplus each year from around $500,000 in state-mandated municipal taxes and an additional $700,000 from the state and other funding sources, the library now has nearly $2 million in reserve that is exclusively dedicated for a new library.
The goal, according to Ott, would be to build a roughly 14,000-square-foot library at a cost of around $3 million with the help of private donations, grants and generous bids.
If the council approves the execution of a contract, the library's $500,000 property acquisition will allow for the expansion of the municipal complex. And while the property will be owned by the township, it will be dedicated exclusively for the construction of a new public library that will be designed to meet the state standards for a community the size of West Milford.
The existing library only has around one-third of the space it needs to house the expansive book and media collections required by the state. Moreover, Library Director Deborah Maynard has said numerous times that due to the amount of books in the 3,000-square-foot public area, there is little room for computers, reading desks and even seating.
Since these size limitations keep the current facility from meeting state standards, the board has been searching for a new site for some time. In the last couple of years a few areas have been discussed including the upper lot behind the municipal complex, Random Woods, the Wallisch Estates on Lincoln Avenue, and the existing library site at Ridge and Union Valley roads.
While the purchase of 1470 Union Valley Road was discussed in the past to expand the municipal complex, an agreement could not be worked out. However, recent developments have caused the neighboring property owner to agree to a sale by the end of September.
"The search for a new [library] location went further in the last 20 months than it did in the previous 10 years," Mayor Bettina Bieri said.
The West Milford Library Board will be continuing discussions on a new library at its open public meetings, which are held the second Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall.
E-mail: zimmer@northjersey.com

Posted by tumulty at September 14, 2009 11:50 AM

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