Library move meets concern

Correction (Jan. 19, 11:51 p.m.): Due to a reporting error, an ealier version of this story misquoted town council member Sally Greene. She said, “Nobody else puts their only library in a mall.” The story has be changed to reflect the correction. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.

A proposal to move Chapel Hill’s public library to University Mall was met with criticism at Tuesday night’s Chapel Hill Town Council meeting.

Town Manager Roger Stancil first presented the plan to the council on Nov. 22 after University Mall’s owner, real estate investment company Madison Marquette, offered to permanently house the Chapel Hill Public Library.

“The council gave the town manager the go ahead to explore the proposal,” said town spokeswoman Catherine Lazorko said. “They requested that the manager find ways to do extensive research and engage the community.”

The council will reconvene Feb. 14 to hear a full report of the University Mall library plan and take action.

“The basic question tonight is what else do we need to provide for you so you can make a decision on Feb. 14?” Stancil asked.

The proposal would replace an existing plan to expand the library’s current Library Drive location, situated near Pritchard Park. The town had formerly planned to relocate to the mall only for renovations.

The library is tentatively planned to reopen at either site during summer or fall 2012.

Stancil estimated about $4 million could be saved by using the mall location, avoiding the construction and relocation costs of the original expansion.

The estimated savings were questioned by council members and residents.

But Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt said the plan does not consider how the cost of buying the property at the mall will affect the estimated overall cost of the plan.

The original cost includes leasing the property, but acquiring the mall space might cost the town an additional $4 million.

“All of a sudden there’s $4 million that’s thrown on,” council member Gene Pease said. “For me, it changes the whole ball game.”

Town Council members were also concerned with sharing control with mall management, creating a conflict between private and public property rights and deciding which party would provide library security.

Kimberly Call, a member of the Library Board of Trustees, said she isn’t sure the town has the right to go forward with the new plan.

“Can the town use bond money specifically allocated for expansion to move to an entirely new location?” she asked in the meeting.

Chapel Hill residents also voiced concern about the proposed plan at the meeting.

“I think it’s a very bad idea,” said Chapel Hill resident John Morris.

“University Mall has been going downhill for many years from ineptitude on part of the management.”

“We’ve heard that the majority of the merchants in the mall like the idea,” said Assistant Town Manager Bruce Heflin. “It would bring a lot more traffic in the mall.”

The council asked Stancil to look into getting more precise financial figures, more information on ownership options and a better idea of the issues around private and public property and how they will be resolved.

“These questions are not commonly asked because nobody else does this,” said council member Sally Greene. “Nobody else puts their only library in a mall.”

The council also discussed the schedule for the Town Council’s retreat and a plan for the Chapel Hill Transit system to expand to all of Orange County at the meeting.

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