Library Forum Addresses Questions, Concerns

A small group of Suffield residents and town officials discussed the cost of the proposed library project in a public forum held at Kent Memorial Library on Wednesday night.

Joe Sangiovanni, chairman of the Permanent Building Commission, and Jim McShane, director of Kent Memorial Library, presented the proposed library plans and fielded questions from the audience about the project.

The proposed plan would cost approximately $8 million, with $6.5 million coming from bonds issued by the town and $1.5 million from fund raising done by the Suffield Library Foundation.

The project would call for taxes to increase approximately 3 percent, which would cost the average family around $72 dollars more a year, according to the presentation.

“Right now I spend more on my cable TV [that] I hardly watch,” Sangiovanni said during the presentation.

Around a dozen residents came to ask questions focusing on the direct and associated costs of the project, including demolition and staffing issues.

Sangiovanni addressed the concern about the demolition of the Bridge Street School building, which is on the chosen site for the project. He said the cost would include $100,000 for demolition and an additional $100,000 for asbestos abatement.

The presentation stressed the importance of the new library plan by focusing on the cost of the project and the alternatives.

“We want to take advantage of a time when construction costs are low,” Sangiovanni said.

An issue brought up in the forum was the cost of renovating the current library and other alternatives.

Cost estimates for renovating the existing library range from $3.5 million to $5 million. Costs include roof repairs, the heating system, windows and a number of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility issues.

McShane and Sangiovanni addressed another alternative – doing nothing about the current situation except emergency repairs – the town already has more than $300,000 set aside to replace the damaged roof.

Completely renovating and repairing the library involves a number of issues. Sangiovanni noted that the library does not meet ADA requirements.

“We've been fortunate no one has shut us down or sued us,” Sangiovanni said, nothing that doing nothing could lead to the library shutting down.

Another issue raised was staffing for a new library because of the larger size of the proposed building and the new features.

“We won't need more staff in the new building because of the way it is arranged,” McShane said.

A referendum in April will determine the future of the project, but several residents asked questions about the fate of the current building on North Main Street.

The plan is to use the current library for during the construction of the new one, expected to take two years. Following that the town would offer to lease or sell the current building to community groups or business, and at least resort it would be turned into a park, according to Sangiovanni.

The new building’s features include more parking spaces, more multimedia resources and more space dedicated to children in the proposed 24,700 sq. ft. building.

“We intend it to be a quality building, giving 50 years with little maintenance,” Sangiovanni said.