June 14, 2005 Minutes
Board of Trustees/ Library Building Committee Joint Meeting
Fargo Public Library , City of Fargo
Minutes of June 14, 2005
Board members present: Betty Kerns, Prakash Mathew, Helen Levitt *, Herb Snyder *, Jean Rayl
Library Building Committee members present: Linda Coates, John Cosgriff, Pat Zavoral, Charles Pace (* Helen Levitt and Herb Snyder are also on this committee)
Others: Jeff Scherer from MS&R, Richard Moorhead from Image Group, City of Fargo staff, public, media
Minutes
The following action was taken by the building committee. Helen Levitt moved to approve the building committee minutes of June 3, 2005. Herb Snyder seconded the motion; the motion carried.
Revote on Southside branch library location
The following action was taken by the Building Committee. Helen Levitt moved to recommend Ed Clapp Park as the south branch site to the City Commission. Michael Sebille seconded the motion; the motion carried.
Presentation of downtown site analysis by Jeff Scherer
Six sites were analyzed for the downtown library as listed below with preliminary budget figures for each.
> Current site expansion and remodel $10,485,352
Bay windows could be added to expand out to First Avenue North. Some public comments voiced concern over expanding into the green space toward the Civic Center. Construction would be done in phases. The geometry of the site does not lend for flexibility in future and minimal parking would be on site.
> Demolishing current building and rebuilding on green space $13,559,089
Removal of current building is not a sustainable act.There would be room for a future parking ramp.
> Civic Center parking lot $13,271,302
Issues include replacing the displaced parking area, relocation of utilities, and flood control. There is also the question of what to do with the current library building.
> US Bank location on Broadway $12,452,675
US Bank is willing to provide a long term lease on the land at market value. The southwest corner would work best for the library, allowing potential expansion of the parking ramp along 3rd Avenue North. The bank may not be willing to offer the southwest corner of the block. It is a complicated urban site with no parking close to the front door.
> Union Storage $12,208,738
Noise and vibration studies would need to be conducted to determine the level of railroad disturbance if this site was chosen. It is approximately 30,000 square feet larger than needed, adding to the cost of acquisition and renovation. As a former warehouse, library floor load requirements would be met. It has capacity for 100 car spaces on the east side with overflow on the west from additional acquisition.
> Cityscapes $12,452,675
This site is dependent on the relocation of the fire station. With additional land acquisition, the geometry of the site would work better. It has capacity for 65 car spaces on site. The proposal included swapping this land for a part of the Civic Center parking lot equal in size.
Public Comment
"The best site is where it is now."
"Cityscapes site is close to NDSU and would make a good neighbor."
"Keep the land by the river for public use and do not swap it for the Cityscapes site."
"Union Storage has adequate parking and room for future expansion."
"Other buildings close to the railroad do not seem to have trouble with vibrations from the railroad. Three items can help with noise and vibrations from the railroad including distance, mass, and noise masking systems. Union Storage is a massive masonry building."
"It is not hard to carry on business at Diamond Vogel Paints on the other side of the railroad tracks. Union Storage would be a historic building renovation, although a river view would be beautiful."
"Union Storage is in an undesirable location furthest away from downtown proper. There are traffic issues and unnecessary costs with added square footage. The NDSU building was a gift. The architects are commended for staying neutral. The current library could be used by other city departments. Citizens want parking for free, not in a ramp."
"The budget was determined before planning. If enough funds are not available, the project will not be done to the same quality as other libraries."
"The anticipated budget from the sales tax is $12 million with $1.2 million set aside for operations. The project is behind budget in any of these proposed sites."
"The Cityscapes site is in a high traffic area which is negative for pedestrians."
"Flood control is more expensive the closer to the river. At the time of the riverfront master plan, funding was not available."
"Pieces of the master plan have been accomplished including the Civic Auditorium addition, Broadway street renewal, the Hjemkomst Center , and the many projects in the Renaissance Zone. Utilizing the riverfront site would be the next step."
A vote was then conducted of first second and third choices based on the discussion. Using a weighted scale for the top three choices, the parking lot of the Civic Center was first, followed by Union Storage and the current site.
Take action on site analysis
No action was taken at this time.
Next Meeting
The next building committee meeting will be held July 1, 2005 , at 9:00 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Monique Andresen