Store owner unhappy with parking plan for library

The owner of Woodstock Hardware is concerned about site plans for the proposed Woodstock Library expansion project that show parking is planned for his property.

The objections were aired during a Town Board meeting Tuesday. Woodstock Hardware owner Vincent Christofora said permission has not been given to include the property on the plans, even though he has allowed its use for the current library.

“We’ve tried to accommodate them for many, many years,” he said, “but we feel that, given the new idea of expansion ... that they should take some responsibility for the plans.”

The area used for the parking is on the west side of Tannery Brook and extends for 123 feet along Library Lane.

“I’ve told representatives for the library on repeated occasions that any plans to increase the size of the library should include providing actual physical parking spaces ... on library property,” Christofora said. “The only response I received was the only area available to create more parking was the front lawn and that space was sacred and would never be used for parking.”

Under plans released earlier this year, the library would construct a new 13,404-square-foot twostory building to replace the existing 4,700-squarefoot structure. The Woodstock Library Association owns three parcels totaling 0.66 acres. They include a vacant parcel on the east side of Library Lane that goes behind Woodstock Hardware.

Library board Trustee Jill Fisher acknowledged that the plans are still a draft and the location of parking could be changed or a waiver sought as part of the approval process.

“We know that those aren’t our parking spaces,” she said, adding that information recently provided to the town was not part of a formal application process for the project.

“We did a preliminary sketch plan review, at which time we made clear we knew what our parking actually is,” she said.

Fisher said there has apparently been communication shortcomings between library officials and Christofora.

“I will try again to reiterate to him that we’re not planning on using his parking,” she said. “We know we need variances.”

Board members have estimated the project will cost $5 million and expect to conduct fundraising events over the next year before seeking approval for bonding on the November 2020 general election ballot.