READING - Town Meeting Members will gather at Reading Memorial High School Monday for a Special Town Meeting, the where debate will be heard regarding the Reading Public Library renovation project.
The Special Town Meeting session will convene at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at RMHS.
Article 6 on the Warrant deals with the library renovation project.
The Board of Selectmen were informed this month that the estimated cost of the project is now $2.4 million higher than previously thought.
As previously reported by the Reading Daily Times Chronicle, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners announced in October that they awarded eight communities - including Reading - General Construction Provisional Grants awards.
According to a release, Reading was awarded $5,105,114 to help fund renovations and an addition to the Reading Public Library.
The Selectmen were told this month by Assistant Town Manager Bob LeLacheur that the actual overall cost of the project is now estimated to be about $14.5 million. The amount of the state grant will not change, so local taxpayers would be responsible for the additional costs in the project.
Article 6 would authorize a Proposition 2 1/2 debt exclusion for the town’s portion of the cost to fund the renovations and an addition to the library. The estimated cost to the average taxpayer in Reading will now be $140 a year for ten years. Previous releases from the town had put the amount at about $100 per taxpayer for ten years.
If the article passes, it will go before voters as a ballot question during the 2013 Local Election in April.
Reading’s Library construction grant application was for full renovation and reconfiguration of the existing historical library building, and construction of a 7,596 square foot addition to the building. The application was submitted in January 2011, following six months of extensive review of program needs, development of design alternatives, and selection of a proposed design. The process included extensive community outreach and discussion.
The Reading Public Library Board of Trustees commissioned a study in 2010 to determine present and future facility needs in the light of steady growth in service and multiplying facility deficiencies. The Trustees are committed to preserving the character of the current library while enhancing its accessibility, functionality and adaptability.
Beacon Architectural Associates, working in conjunction with Adams & Smith Architects, determined that the current building is structurally sound but highly inefficient for today’s needs. Their proposal calls for rearrangement of existing internal space and a 7,596-square- foot expansion on the hill at the easterly side toward School Street. The two-story addition would align with the lower and main levels of the current building. Major structural repairs and substantial renovation are required to comply with current building codes.
The 2010 Fall Town Meeting authorized the Library Trustees to apply for a state grant for construction. The application was submitted in January 2011. The Library staff and Trustees conducted information sessions and building tours in 2011-2012 while the Trustees waited for the Governor to release additional funding in Fiscal Year 2013 so that the Reading project can begin.
The following information has been provided to Town Meeting Members to help them with deliberations.
Background:
In October 2012, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners awarded Reading a General Construction Provisional Grant award of $5,105,114. The award is conditional upon the Town’s securing funding for its share of the project cost by June 2013.
What is the Library General Construction Award for?
The State approved a plan presented by the Reading Public Library calling for a complete renovation of the current 31,000 SF Library building and a 7596 SF addition on the east side.
How did this plan come about?
Since 2007 the Reading Public Library Trustees and the Town administration have acknowledged that the current library building requires a major capital investment in order to function into the future. After consulting with community members, town and facilities staff and administration, the Trustees engaged a team of professionals, including engineers and architects to perform a building assessment of the current library to gauge its long-term suitability as a library and its capacity to serve the Town for the next twenty years. Based on the subsequent report and approval from the Town, Trustees applied for a General Construction Grant to modernize the facility while preserving the historic character and comfortable feel of the current library. The design specifications required the continued use of the Highland School, sensitivity to the neighborhood setting, and that the project be minimally disruptive both during and after construction.
The Library looks fine to me - Why is this big construction project necessary?
While everyone works hard to keep the library looking clean and comfortable, and high ceilings, bright windows, and a cheerful decor make it feel spacious and open, there are both structural and system issues that are interfering with the library’s ability to function. In spite of the best efforts to keep up with repairs and preventative maintenance, there has been an increase of costly and urgent issues in recent years. Moreover, when the old Highland School building was converted for library use in 1983, it was done on a cost-conservative basis using local funding exclusively. The final budget of $997,000 did not address major items such as floor loading, roof restoration, electrical service, HVAC, windows, and other structural and functional issues.
While the library has been very well-served by inheriting the lovely old Highland School and everyone associated with the library greatly appreciates the efforts that went into making it useful for the library, the problems associated with modestly adapting a nineteenth-century school building for a twenty-first century library are taking a toll on budgeting and planning for the future.
So what are the problems?
Here’s a brief list to begin with:
• Floor Load - Built originally as a school, the wooden floors were not sufficiently reinforced to withstand typical library load. That is why most of the adult collections at the Library are in the basem*nt.
• Building envelope - including inadequate insulation, poor drainage, damaged gutters and downspouts, etc
• Windows - All of the windows on the main and second floor need to be replaced, except eight that were done at great expense and time a few years ago. The most of these windows are original to the 117-year-old building and are not energy efficient or, in some cases, functioning.
• Roof - The roof leaks. Leaks that have overflowed the buckets in the attic, or sprung up in unexpected places have caused water damage in the children’s room ceiling and some of the materials in the children’s collection.
• Masonry - The exterior of the library has suffered erosion from water and other environmental factors, leading to additional water leakage and damage in the building, particularly the basem*nt. The brick needs to be repointed and masonry repaired.
• Electrical - While the service coming into the library is sufficient, the power distribution within the building is grossly insufficient. Most of the building lacks adequate outlets to support laptops use, essential lighting, or modern equipment like copiers, laminators, scanners, and computers and printers.
There are many other major system problems that are described and illustrated with photographs and examples in the library’s Construction Grant Application, including ventilation, treating and cooling, accessibility, data lines, security and safety, and energy inefficiency. Codes have changed drastically in the thirty-years and the overall structures and systems are overdue for replacement and upgrades. Copies of the Grant Application (200+ pages) are available at the library.
Why do we need to build an addition?
In order to qualify for the construction grant award, the library’s design plans have to include sufficient functional space for the library to serve the community for at least twenty years. Based on modest (10%) growth predicted for Reading, some functional areas are severely inadequate and need to be relocated and expanded. These include space for quiet reading and silent study, space for children’s programs, space for more computers for public use, and expanded and accessible conference and meeting rooms.
Why can’t we just “fix the building?
There is no state construction money for fixing the building.
Do people still use the library? Isn’t everything online?
Reading citizens are using the library more than ever every year! Circulation of library materials has almost doubled since , to over 500,000 annually. The library received over 200,000 visitors last year and has over 16,000 active library card users. Over the past 30 years, the library has added essential services including computers for public use, teen services, book discussion groups, tax form distribution, museum pass program, parent/child story times, Sing-alongs, and places for group study.
