Architects contracted to produce a design concept for a new library will be unveiling a preliminary design on Monday, March 26.
An open house is being held from 3 to 9 pm in the foyer upstairs at Powell River Recreation Complex. Architects from Miller Hull Partnership and Public Design will be available to answer questions related to the design and provide more detail about how a new library might look and function.
Charlie Kregel, chief librarian of Powell River Public Library, explained to City of Powell River council during a budget meeting on March 1 that a Class C cost estimate prepared by a licensed quantity surveyor is expected to be ready by April. “At that point the board will begin to determine a strategy around funding so we can estimate what portion of funding would be required from taxpayers, if any,” he said. “That process will take considerably more time and at that point, once we know that information, we would expect that council will make a decision as to whether or not to proceed to referendum.”
Last year, city council chose the old arena site located at the south end of Willingdon Beach Park as the preferred site for a new library. Since then, opposition to the location has been growing.
The city owns the library, but it is managed independently by the library board of trustees. Trustees are appointed by city council. Through a service agreement to provide library service to Powell River Regional District, three appointments are reserved for the regional district.
The regional district has been receiving enquiries about the location and residents are requesting action. Directors dealt with the issue at the March 8 committee-of-the-whole meeting. Staff recommended that the regional district should issue a statement about its involvement in the process.
“We’ve always supported the consideration of the construction of a new municipal library,” Colin Palmer, board chair and Electoral Area C director said.
If the project proceeds to construction, the regional district will hold a referendum for rural residents in Electoral Areas A, B, C and D to consider providing a specific, but not yet defined, portion of funding to augment municipal funding of the project.
The referendum will be on the borrowing of money, Palmer explained. “We have no idea what the money is at this stage,” he said. “We still haven’t sat down with the city and worked out what the sharing formula is going to be.”
A new library capital item will be a new service for the regional district, Palmer added. “That’s the other reason why we have to go to referendum,” he said.
The city is responsible for the selecting the site of a new library and it has determined the former arena site at Willingdon Beach Park is the preferred site. Palmer said rural directors would never interfere with the selection of a site for a new library. “We know the city is totally responsible for the site selection, so we’re just not going to get involved,” he said.
However, the regional district has to know what the operation and maintenance costs of a new library are going to be, Palmer said. “We, the electoral areas, haven’t seen a design yet,” he said. He said when they are invited to comment, they would make a statement about the size, what’s in it and the cost.
At the end of the discussion, directors agreed to support the release of a statement approved by Palmer regarding the regional district’s involvement in the proposed construction of a new library.
