Council wants look at smaller library

The Coeur d’Alene Public Library Foundation is scaling back its plan for a new downtown library, acknowledging local residents probably won’t pay for a $7 million building.

The City Council recently asked the library foundation to come up with a smaller, less expensive design after an independent poll this summer showed it’s doubtful a bond election to pay for the new library would pass. Residents said they already feel overtaxed, yet there was a strong consensus that a new library is needed.

So the architect has eliminated one floor, reducing the price tag by about $2 million.

“We really listened to folks and decided to get this project done,” Development Coordinator Ruth Pratt said. “If we don’t go for the Cadillac then we’re going to get a really good sedan and get it on the road.”

The council has yet to see the final design, but it is expected to decide Sept. 14 whether to ask voters to pass a $3 million library bond. The library foundation plans to make up the additional $2 million through private donations and the sale of the existing library property on Harrison Avenue. The foundation money would allow the city to break ground on the lot across from City Hall immediately after the election, if voters approve the bond sale.

The lot already has been purchased with the help of the city’s urban renewal agency, Lake City Development Corp. The potential February election also would include a separate question on whether to approve $7 million in public safety bonds.

It takes a supermajority, or two-thirds voter approval, for a city to pass a general obligation bond.

The public safety proposal also has been scaled back by $1 million, city Finance Director Troy Tymesen said. About $2 million would go toward paying off the new fire station on 15th Street and the Kathleen Avenue police station. The remaining $5 million would cover the police and fire stations’ capital needs during the next 10 years, including a training facility that both departments could share, a new firetruck and other equipment.

Tymesen said that the city’s general obligation bond advisory committee reduced the request by eliminating things such as a fireboat and asking the departments to continue to seek grants.

Initially, the library foundation wanted to build a three-story, 54,000-square-foot building that would include a community room with seating for 300 people. The city had intended to use the room as the new council chambers, in addition to space for other public meetings and presentations.

The scaled-back proposal would eliminate the community room. Pratt said none of the library programs would be affected.

Councilwoman Deanna Goodlander said the council wants the library building designed so it would be easy to add an addition as the city’s population grows and more room is needed.

“One of the messages we heard loud and clear was (residents) felt it was too large,” Goodlander said.

The library foundation has focused on building a new library for years, especially since the Harrison Avenue building became too cramped.At first, the foundation promised not to seek a bond to fund construction because members didn’t think it would pass. That promise was made right after 61 percent of Coeur d’Alene voters in 1999 shot down a proposed bond measure to build a $6.3 million community center.

Instead, the foundation focused on grants and private donations to pay for a 30,000-square-foot library costing about $3 million.

As the city’s population steadily grew, Pratt said, it became clear that those plans were too small and that the foundation couldn’t raise enough money or get the grants needed to build a large enough library.

That’s why the foundation and the city are considering a bond measure.

“Their hearts were in the right place,” Councilwoman Dixie Reid said about the foundation’s promise not to use tax dollars. “There’s going to have to be some public money involved in it. If you look around at other communities, that’s what they do.”

By offering voters a bond option, it leaves it up to the taxpayers to decide how they want to spent their money, if at all.

Robinson Research of Spokane conducted the 600-person telephone survey during 14 days in June and held two focus groups. Residents were split about how they would vote on the proposed library bond, which was proposed at $5 million.

Forty-six percent of the respondents said they would vote for the library bond, roughly the same percentage that said they would vote against the measure. Nine percent of those polled said they were undecided.

Prevalent reasons for opposing the library bond included the perception of being overtaxed and a dislike for the location of the new library.

The results showed that 48 percent said the downtown location was good, while 44 percent said it was a poor location. Eight percent were undecided.

Many opponents of the proposed downtown location said it would make more sense to put the new library in the north section of town. Yet there was no consensus on alternative locations for the new library.