Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Library site plan, budget approved
FAYETTEVILLE — The detailed site plan for the library’s expansion passed city scrutiny Monday.
The Planning Commission voted 9-0 to accept the large-scale development plan for the planned $49 million expansion and renovation of the Fayetteville Public Library. The library’s board earlier in the day also got a presentation about the plans.
The amount of space the public will be able to
use within the expansion is about 82,500 square feet. The city’s planning staff listed the expansion at 99,200 square feet because it included every aspect of the site, from mechanical rooms to double ceiling height, said Executive Director David Johnson.
The design team with Meyer, Scherer and Rockcastle made a few changes to the plan since the library board last saw it in August. The most apparent is the entrance that had been in the center of the facade facing School Avenue was moved to the other side on West Avenue.
Architect Kate Michaud said the logic was a lot of foot traffic will be coming from Dickson Street along West Avenue and from the Fay Jones Parkland across the street. Most people coming from the square enter the existing entrance on School Avenue, which will remain, she said. Also, another entrance will sit on the southern end of the building on School Avenue.
“Given the existing building and the site topography, that slither in the middle is the one spot on this site where we’re able to connect all four floors together,” Michaud said.
The design team has worked closely with city planning staff and the team hired to develop a cultural arts corridor downtown, Michaud said. Part of the arts corridor plan involves putting a boardwalk and other low-impact futures in the woods next to the library.
Street improvements for West and School avenues were included as conditions for the commission’s approval.
Other new features of the library site plan include a nature path weaving through trees on the School Avenue side and a covered bicycle station. A patch of trees also will go on the southwest corner of the site.
Planning Commissioner Zara Niederman said usually mega-buildings with long walks from corner to corner concern him. That was not the case with the library plan, he said.
“When I look at this it feels inviting, with the windows and the landscaping,” Niederman said. “I think you did a great job.”
The library board also approved a $6.1 million budget for next year during its meeting held earlier Monday. The budget for this year was about $5.7 million.
The largest expenditures include $881,476 for facilities, $793,506 for adult and reference services, $608,388 for Information Technology and $603,090 to circulation.
The vast majority of the library’s revenue comes from its voter-approved millage and operations money from the city. The 2019 budget projects $2.7 million in millage revenue and $1.7 million from the city.
The budget also accounts for staffing increases in the adult and reference, circulation and youth services departments. Six of the seven new positions are related to the expansion.
Stephen Davis, the library’s director of accounting and Human Resources, described the budget for next year as a bit of an anomaly. Construction on the expansion and renovation on the existing building is set to begin in spring, and administrators intend to keep the library open and running during the work.
That will mean shifting things around. The board in October signed off on a plan with an estimated $150,000 cost that involves swinging spaces within the library and renting space off-site as needed.
Usually, the board is asked in February to re-allocate a portion of remaining money from the previous year’s budget for one-time spending requests. On Monday, the board approved potentially using $180,000 in rollover money to cover anticipated expenses associated with the renovation and transitions.
Johnson said leaving a few personnel positions vacant for several months this year resulted in having more money to put toward expenses.
The rollover money should also cover some aspects of the budget that were cut slightly deep, such as office supplies for certain departments, Davis said.
The City Council is set to consider the entire package of construction sub-contractors in March. Opening is scheduled for fall 2020.
The library board also approved a $6.1 million budget for next year during its meeting held earlier Monday. The budget for this year was about $5.7 million.