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September 5, 2009

Warren County slows down library and human services project to re-examine costs

Thursday, August 27, 2009
By BILL WICHERT
The Express-Times
WHITE TWP. | Warren County officials are putting the brakes on the proposed library and human services headquarters.

Slightly more than a year after formally dedicating the site, county officials said Wednesday the project's estimated costs have roughly doubled to nearly $30 million. They're concerned about moving forward at a time when county revenues have flattened.

County freeholders agreed Wednesday to send the proposal to the county's projects committee to re-examine the proposal and make recommendations.

"In light of the economy the way it is, in light of the expenses on (the) county balance sheet, I'm very concerned," freeholder Director Rick Gardner said after Wednesday's meeting. "We're going to stop and re-examine what we're doing and then make our best decisions after that."

The county had hoped to break ground on the project in late fall, but the groundbreaking should now take place by early spring, Gardner said.

The county might phase in the proposed project or develop alternative plans for the affected county agencies, Gardner said.

The project, whose original price tag was between $15 million and $17 million, is expected to house the library headquarters, county department of human services, election board and the public health nursing agency. The proposed location is beside the county's Wayne Dumont Jr. Administration Building on Route 519 in White Township.

The projected cost gradually escalated as more county agencies were included in the building's design. The county made other changes, such as adding a geothermal heating system, Gardner said. The estimated cost of that system as of a year ago was $2.1 million.

The county has saved more than $20 million in capital funds to put toward the project, but Freeholder Everett Chamberlain said the governing body has been committed to spend no more than what it has on hand.

Chamberlain said he supports taking a hard look at the project to maintain a pay-as-you-go philosophy.

"I think this is an opportunity to do that before we go any further," Chamberlain said during Wednesday's freeholder meeting.

Gardner said the county has some options, even if it just does the library portion of the project.

The project's delay comes as the existing library headquarters in Belvidere continues to pose space constraints.

The aisles are too narrow, bookcases are up against windows and there are few places to sit, said Maureen Baker Wilkinson, the county's library director.

"I'm just happy that it's still on the table and that they're still considering it," Wilkinson said. "We're anxious to get it moving."

Reporter Bill Wichert can be reached at 610-258-7171, ext. 3570, or by e-mail at bwichert@express-times.com.

Posted by tumulty at September 5, 2009 10:48 AM

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