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A proposal to increase by one-third the size of Menlo Park’s main library in the Civic Center is facing scrutiny by Menlo Park council members and residents who say the price tag (at least $32 million) is high, particularly at a time when the Belle Haven area may require more attention.
“The sticker shock ground all my enthusiasm to a halt,” said Councilman Peter Ohtaki at a March 28 study session.
Mr. Ohtaki addressed criticism heard earlier in the meeting that some Belle Haven residents think the city is ignoring their neighborhood’s needs.
“I can understand that perception when we look at a major expenditure and we’re not thinking about the status of the Senior Center or the Onetta Harris Center or if there’s a way of getting a new library in Belle Haven,” he said.
Main library
The proposal to increase by one-third the library’s size – either by renovation or complete reconstruction – arose from a “space needs study” conducted by Berkeley-based Noll & Tam Architects, and funded by the Menlo Park Library Foundation. The current library is 33,000 square feet, according to Library Director Susan Holmer, and the proposal is to increase the library’s size to 44,000 square feet.
(The Almanac previously made an error in reporting that the library’s size would more than double. That was due to a misleading figure in a presentation that appeared to indicate the current square footage of the library is 20,600 square feet.)
Foundation President Monica Corman told the council that many libraries in other local communities have been renovated or rebuilt to meet the needs of 21st century users.
“We don’t measure up to any of those,” she said.
According to the architects, the library should be expanded to add rooms for studying, tutoring and meetings, to expand the children’s and teen areas, and perhaps add a “maker space.”
During the study session, several council members balked at the price tag.
“It pains me how expensive it is to build things,” said architectural consultant Chris Noll. In his experience, he said, libraries are costing upwards of $1,000 per square foot to build, and costs tend to escalate rapidly the longer a project is delayed up to 5 or 6 percent a year.
Councilwoman Kirsten Keith suggested that the library look at unconventional ways to fund the project, perhaps combining it with housing construction that might generate revenue for the library.
Belle Haven
Lynne Bramlett, a library commissioner and high school English teacher, said the main library is in need of an overhaul, but urged the council to also prioritize improving library services in Belle Haven. The commission, she said, is doing a preliminary study that indicates that Belle Haven residents are more active library users than residents in other areas of Menlo Park.
The Belle Haven library is on the property of the Ravenswood City School District’s Belle Haven Elementary School, and is not open to the public during school hours.
Belle Haven residents Rose Bickerstaff and Sheryl Bims (in a poem called “You were absent and you were silent”) had earlier in the meeting admonished the council for not attending a recent Menlo Park Fire Protection District meeting, when the Board of Directors was considering taking by eminent domain two homes on Chilco Street to build a driveway for its fire engines. The board backed down and apologized.
Belle Haven resident Pam Jones referred to education inequity, cut-through traffic and public safety concerns that she said the council is not adequately addressing.
In a remark at the meeting’s conclusion, Menlo Park Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman suggested to the council the two agencies could perhaps finagle a bargain: “Maybe if we buy the station land (from the city), we can help with some money for the Belle Haven library,” he said.
The council voted last October to not sell that land to the fire district.
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Libraries. Something I actually am an expert – as libraries I’ve developed library automation software for circulation and catalog, and libraries have been clients. (On my first visit to Tacoma Public Library I noticed that the main branch was next to the city jail. When first meeting the Library Director, I remarked “You sure take fines and overdue books seriously”).
The MP library should be able to provide statistics – circulation (borrowing) counts, foot traffic, fines, collection size by month and year; hours open. Through this information we can see trends over time and see if; and relative branch usage.
“…admonished the council for not attending a recent Menlo Park Fire Protection District meeting…”
Although they share the name of the city, the city council has no control over the Menlo Park City School District or the Menlo Park Fire Protection District. The fire divisions of Palo Alto and Redwood City are properly managed under the city councils of those cities. You will never read about those cities imposing eminent domain on their residents to build a fire house.
Palo Alto and Redwood City both control their own zoning and have the good sense to actually provide adequate PF zoning for essential service like libraries and fire stations.
In neither the Downtown Specific Plan or the M2 Plan did the city designate a single Sq inch of new PF space.
I don’t think anyone involved thinks that the Menlo Park Fire Protection District is an agency of the City of Menlo Park. While I can’t speak for Sheryl Bims, several of us would have liked to see City Council members show up at the fire district board meeting as a sign that they care about what goes on this side of Highway 101. It was heartening to see some concern about finally getting us a decent library over here. I for one will be watching to see what comes of it.
Comparing other municipalities’ relationships with their fire departments to this situation is useless. The structures are different and the relationships have to be managed given the structures. If all parties are sincere about listening to and working with each other almost any structure can be made to work.
The fire board recently voted to extend their terms by one year. They could instead have an election for three 5-year terms this November. Electing three people from Belle Haven or East Palo Alto, to the fire board, will this fix this problem.
This is an interesting article, but I can happily say that the answer in my opinion to the headline question is absolutely not. I happen to be the chair of the library commission in Menlo Park right now and serving the Belle Haven community is one of our major goals and passions. The city council is meeting tonight at the Senior Center in Belle Haven in response to residents requests to meet there more often. If you are interested in hearing an update on library plans or would like to include your voice, please come to the meeting tonight. Thanks!
Hours of the Belle Haven library are woefully inadequate to serve the neighborhood. Despite repeated requests to city, hours have been cut rather than increased in last year. If BH community literacy is a priority of MP, hours and service should reflect that. Residents have consistently asked for more hours but nothing has been done.
The ultimate way in which a city demonstrates its priorities is in its zoning/land use decisions. The city’s dramatic up zoning of the M2 area without adding a single square inch of new Public Facilities zoning shows exactly what priority the city places on providing for the public needs of Belle Haven.
I was at the meeting and heard the presentation. While I am overall impressed with the plan, I can say from personal experience that the Belle Haven libraries book count and title list is inadequate. The first time I went, I was shocked at the small number of books in certain categories. Where are the current Newberry Award winning books? I don’t see anything even close to what is at the main library as far as quality literature. The books are old in year and not in keeping with the latest and voted upon books by teens. Again, the intent is good and I applaud that but it has a long way to go in achieving equity. Expanding the hours would be a good start.