Boro taps water surplus to fund library project
Expansion work expected to begin later this year
BY MICHAEL ACKER
Staff Writer

SOUTH RIVER - A proposed $5.5 million library expansion will get under way this year with funding help courtesy of the borough's water budget surplus.

Whether the long-anticipated project would receive full funding this year was a question until the surplus came into play.

Borough Business Administrator Andrew Salerno said the governing body adopted an ordinance authorizing the debt for the project, and the recently introduced municipal budget puts $275,000 down as the required 5 percent down payment for that bond.

The bond ordinance is still to come, Salerno said, adding that it will have to be introduced before it can be adopted.

With an additional $200,000 from the water surplus, the borough will have enough to bond for the project, according to Councilman Raymond Eppinger. He noted that the plan can be changed until the bond ordinance is adopted.

The two-story library, currently 8,500 square feet, will be expanded by 19,000 square feet, bringing the total size to 28,000, said project architect Anthony Iovino.

The council on March 12 held a joint special meeting with the library's Board of Trustees to discuss the additions and renovations, and how they will be funded.

Council President David Sliker, chairman of the Finance Committee, said the plan is to complete the project by 2008, but the borough needs to hire a project manager in order to separate the work into phases.

Mayor Robert Szegeti told the Sentinel that the governing body wants to distribute the project costs over a period of time, and that a meeting would be held with the borough's bond counsel to look at ways of funding the project "so that it is beneficial for the expansion, but also beneficial for the taxpayers."

"We will know what the cost is once we go out to bid and bids are received," the mayor said. The borough is expected to solicit bids in May.

Sliker said that construction is not likely to start until the fall.

During construction, the library will have to be relocated temporarily, but state laws may not allow the town to bond for moving and rental costs, Szegeti said. In that case, those expenses would have to be included in the library's operating budget.

Library Director Andrea Londensky said the trustees are looking at temporary sites for the library, noting that facilities at Corpus Christi School and Saint Mary of Ostrabrama are among the possibilities.

Sliker advised the board that it should have an alternative site lined up by May.

The total cost estimate of more than $5 million does not include telecommunications, furniture and a security system, Londensky said. The mayor and council have, to date, bonded for $315,000 for design work and "soft costs," she said.

The project is moving forward, according to Iovino.

"These projects, as we all know, take a length of time to complete," Iovino said. The library is a unique site, he said, because of a major slope in the back. The slope will be used to the project's advantage by planning the building so that patrons can view the surrounding woods.

As part of the project, library parking will be increased by 51 spaces, up from 22, according to Londensky.

Upon entering the renovated building, patrons would find the administrative areas to the left, Iovino said, and a gallery space will be to the right of the entrance for art displays and event postings for residents and groups.

Also included is a meeting room for up to 100 people, a café lounge area, kitchen and storage lab. Sprinklers will be installed to enhance safety.

Outside, efforts will be made to save as many trees as possible, Iovino said. The view from the library to the woods is an integral part of the plan, he said, and a major contributing factor to the site's uniqueness among libraries.

Library trustee M. Anita Hermstedt told the governing body that the board met with focus groups that included teens and parents to determine what the community wanted to see with this project.

"This was not something that we as trustees wanted - it's what the community asked us to do and we have done exactly what they have asked us to do," Hermstedt said.

Londensky said the plan addresses space needs for collections and staff. The library has only 20 seats at present, despite the increased demand.

"They come in, do their business and leave," Londensky said, adding that many do not have a chance to enjoy the services offered at the library due to the lack of space.

A children's area will offer space to various age groups, including elementary school students and young adults, Londensky said.

The plan will also increase the number of computers at the library with Internet access, Londensky said. At present, there are six computers to choose from, and children have two that do not have access to the Internet.

Trustee Barbara Jensen told officials that the library is a large and vital part of the community, noting that it gets 55,000 visits each year.