Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - City Council - 06/11/2018 JOINT CITY COUNCIL & LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES 11 JUNE 2018 The South Burlington City Council held a joint meeting with the Library Board of Trustees on Monday, 11 June 2018, at 6:30 p.m., in the Conference Room, City Hall, 575 Dorset Street. City Council Members Present: H. Riehle, Chair; M. Emery, T. Barritt, T. Chittenden, D. Kaufman Also Present: K. Dorn, City Manager; T. Hubbard, Deputy City Manager; I. Blanchard, Project Manager; J. Murray, Librarian; members of the Library Board of Trustees; S. Roy, M. Van Ohlson, B. Servis, M. Mittag, J. Kochman, other members of the public 1. Instructions on exiting building in case of emergency: Mr. Dorn provided instructions on emergency evacuation of the building. 2. Agenda Review: Additions, deletions or changes in order of agenda items: No changes were made to the Agenda. 3. Comments and Questions from the public not related to the agenda: There were no comments or questions from the public not related to the agenda. 4. City Council & Library Board of Trustees discussion regarding current status and proposals related to constructing a Community Center/Library on Market Street in City Center: Mr. Roy identified the building site adjacent to Allard Square and to the Central School driveway and outlined the footprint of the proposed building. Mr. Roy noted that the City has worked out an agreement with the School District to allow uses on the first floor of the proposed building, drop-off within the site, possible connection of parking areas from Mary Street, access to Allard Square garage, and location of utilities. Engelberth Construction has been hired as Project Manager for the project. Mr. Roy reviewed the schedule from its onset to the proposed ribbon- cutting. This week, architects will begin pricing of the design so there can be a “number” available for mid‐July. Ribbon-cutting is proposed for May, 2020. Mr. Roy they reviewed the “why(s)” of the project as follows: a. Absence of civic/cultural space b. Lack of a senior center c. Library located in temporary space d. Inability to meet the public demand for access to technology e. Lack of community meeting space The new vision will accomplish the following: a. Provide a “living room” for the community b. Create a cultural and social center c. Act as a catalyst for City Center d. Realize the opportunity for shared synergies e. Allow the Library to expand f. Inspire learning opportunities for all generations g. Expand online and physical Library collections Mr. Roy then outlined the various forms of outreach that occurred in order to achieve the proposed design and features of the building. These include public workshops and meetings with such groups as the Friends on the Library, Library Board of Trustees, school students, seniors, Public Art Committee, City and Library staff. There was also a website survey. Following this outreach, three options were developed for the building. These received over 450 public comments. These were prioritized and rated to see where patterns occurred. The most desired elements were: a. The exterior of “option B” b. The floor plan of “option C” c. An auditorium on the first floor d. The Children’s Library on the first floor e. Fiction and non-fiction together With these items under consideration, Option “D” was developed as a conglomeration of all favorable options. With refinements, Option “G” is now being considered. It reflects the agreement with the School District, and increased size for the Senior Center and Children’s Library. Mr. Roy then reviewed each of the major areas of the building including square footage, location, and major features. Photographs of what these spaces could look like were shown. A. City Clerk/Welcome Center a. 2100 sq. ft. b. First floor location c. Lobby café seating d. Early voting space B. Living Room and Children’s Library a. 9900 sq. ft. b. New and large print books c. Comfortable seating and fireplace d. Possible skylights e. Children’s Library and activity room f. Staff services g. Stairway to adult Library C. Auditorium & Catering Kitchen a. 2200 sq. ft. auditorium (seat for 100 people); 300 sq. ft. catering b. Raised platform (similar to a stage) c. Good acoustics and AV capability d. Retractable tiered seating that is easy to set up e. Potential for movie matinees, speakers/presentations, savvy seniors’ theatre, table seating D. Senior Center a. 2300 sq. ft. b. First floor location c. Windows for views and light d. Flexible space for many activities e. Catering kitchen directly accessible f. TV Mr. Mittag asked what was given up to get the Senior Center. Mr. Roy said space between the building and the sidewalk and some of the Lobby space. Ms. Blanchard said seniors will have the space between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.; after that, it will be available for city activities. E. Library (second floor) a. 15,800 sq. ft. b. Roof terraces (south side of building) c. Skylight over stairway d. Fiction and nonfiction collections e. 2 meeting rooms for after hours meeting spaces f. Larger multi-purpose spaces g. Quiet study space h. Teen space i. Friends of the Library bookstore and meeting space F. Level 3 a. 11,337 gross sq. ft. b. Meeting spaces c. City Manager’s offices d. Planning & Zoning Department e. City staff break area and support spaces f. Options for some roof terraces A member of the audience asked if there is potential to build additional space, if needed. Mr. Roy said there is. Mr. Roy then outlined the next steps as follows: a. Continued development of design b. Cost estimate (mid-July) c. Design development complete by voting day d. Construction documents prepared for March/bidding A member of the audience expressed concern with parking availability. Mr. Dorn said the city is working on an arrangement for staff/patron parking, but that lease is not yet in place. That arrangement will be announced prior to voting. Ms. Servis asked that the next steps be “transparent.” Mr. Roy said there will be regular meetings with stakeholders and updates to the City Council/website, etc., on a regular basis. Ms. Emery asked about the possibility of a “Tween” space. Ms. Murray said that is being considered. Members of the Library Board expressed appreciation for the agreement worked out between the City and the School Board. As there was no further business to come before the Council and Library Board of Trustees, Mr. Chittenden moved to adjourn. Ms. Emery seconded. Motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m. Published by ClerkBase ©2019 by Clerkbase. No Claim to Original Government Works.