TOWN OF AURORA
Library expansion not open and shut
The Aurora Town Library, one of the most active in the countywide library system and long squeezed for space, may be in line for an expansion, though it may not be the one that library officials had in mind.
Library leaders had guarded reaction last week to the town’s compromise plan that would expand the existing library on Main Street in East Aurora by about 4,000 square feet, boost parking to 58 spaces from the current eight and realign a jagged intersection between Whaley Avenue and Paine Street.
Though the town owns the library building, library officials clearly backed a recommendation by a joint services committee earlier this month calling for a $9.6 million municipal center that would include government offices for the Village of East Aurora and the Town of Aurora and a new library, all on Main Street.
Library Board President Deborah Carr-Hoagland had called the $9.6 million plan “terrific” for the library’s needs.
“This plan we have on Main Street is fabulous,” she said.
Now, she said, the library and committee need to do an extensive study of that alternative plan involving only the library.
“We’d be happy with 12,000 square feet. That would be adequate for our needs, if there were other shared areas,” board member George Oliver said.
Library board members said the more expensive plan — which has since been viewed by many as too expensive for taxpayers — would have boosted the 7,500-square-foot library to about 12,000 square feet, with the town, village and library sharing additional space for a common meeting room, public restrooms and a foyer.
The less costly option would not do that and would leave village offices at Village Hall and town offices at the newly purchased Gleed Avenue building.
But now that pricier option doesn’t seem to be favored by many Town Board members. The issue will have to face a referendum, though it’s no longer likely to be in mid-August, as first expected.
Library officials question whether the latest plan goes far enough to address their long-standing space problems.
“We need to compare everything so that the public can benefit from the extra time to study this,” said Library Board member Al Fontanese.
“Now voters will truly see the cost of staying status quo and remodeling, versus the cost of a new build,” East Aurora Mayor Clark Crook said.
At the same time, library officials are concerned about applying for state grant money. The deadline is Aug. 21, and library officials hoped to apply this year since they’ve missed two previous opportunities.
Carr-Hoagland pressed the town to apply for part of the $664,000 state construction grant by the Aug. 21 deadline so it could be used to buy the former Agway site and old Jackson Bowling Lanes for additional parking. Matching funds of 50 percent are required.
“This is our opportunity to be high on their priority list,” she said. “We need a firm commitment from the town that you would spend up to $400,000 to match the grant.”
Aurora Supervisor Dwight Krieger said, “We can study this for two more months. We can’t rush into anything of this magnitude. We haven’t got $400,000 in the town budget right now [for this].”
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Reader comments