Where to put a new main library and whether it should include housing were two questions discussed but not resolved at a public meeting held Monday, Dec. 4, at the Menlo Park Library.
Straw polls during the meeting were split, and the majority of the roughly 25 attendees said they felt they needed more information before making a decision.
The city of Menlo Park is expediting the process to build a new main library after receiving an offer by developer and philanthropist John Arrillaga to cover the construction costs of a new library after the first $20 million.
A “space needs” study completed earlier this year found that the community was interested in more public meeting spaces, study rooms, a dedicated area for teens and a larger children’s area than the current library offers, according to Christopher Noll, an architect at Berkeley-based consulting firm Noll & Tam, which oversees a number of regional library construction projects.
There have been two options proposed for where to put the new main library at the Civic Center. One is the current site at Alma Street and Ravenswood Avenue. The other is closer to Laurel Street, and could overtake the footprint of where the council chambers and Children’s Development Center are now.
If that site were selected, the new structure might include a large public meeting room that could double as the new council chambers. The Children’s Development Center would likely have to find somewhere else to operate, according to Library Director Susan Holmer.
One advantage to the Laurel Street location is that the city would not have to set up a temporary facility during construction, which could cost roughly between $1 and $2 million, according to Mr. Noll.
A major unknown factor is how a grade separation at the Caltrain/Ravenswood crossing would affect such a project. If Ravenswood Avenue were to run beneath the Caltrain tracks, then vehicle access to Alma Street could be eliminated. Another option, to elevate the rail line and lower the roads at multiple rail crossings, would not cut off Alma Street access.
The council hasn’t decided whether to pursue either option, or something else.
According to Ms. Holmer, the new library would not have a space for the Menlo Park Historical Association, which currently occupies a small room in the library’s basement. Dedicated space for the group was not evaluated during the library’s space needs study, she said.
Housing?
Another option under consideration is to add affordable housing above the library. Consultant Sean Kennedy of the Berkeley-based architectural firm, Studio Skaggs Kennedy, presented examples of developments in Chicago and Portland that have ground-floor libraries and housing on top.
Several attendees favored adding affordable apartments, saying that the location is a prime one because the city already owns the land and it is near downtown and the Menlo Park Caltrain station, which will limit the need for residents to drive.
Others said they didn’t support the concept for traffic-related reasons, or because tenants might remain there even if ineligible for affordable housing.
Mr. Noll said his firm was tapped to conduct public outreach and develop a rough layout for the building, but the ultimate design and construction will likely be done by donor John Arrillaga’s development company.
More public meetings are scheduled for Jan. 17 and Feb. 15 at 6:30 p.m.
