ARTICLE 17: APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO CONSTRUCT A NEW LIBRARY BUILDING
Proposed by: Board of Library Trustees
Estimated Cost: $28,940,710
To determine whether the Town will vote to:
1) raise and appropriate, transfer from available funds, or borrow the sum of Twenty-eight Million, nine hundred and forty Thousand, seven hundred ten dollars ($28,940,710) for the design, engineering, construction, equipping, and furnishing of a new Wayland Free Public Library to be located at 195 Main Street, Wayland, MA 01778, and any and all incidental and
related costs, including but not limited to, site evaluation, engineering and design services, and project management services for the design, bidding and construction, including but not limited to schematic and final design, construction documents, and bidding and construction oversight, building demolition and site preparation, paving, and landscaping as well as a lease or leases for alternative operational space, storage, furnishings, moving expenses and other professional and legal expenses and fees and related necessary costs for the duration of the project, and to authorize the Board of Selectmen and/or the Board of Library Trustees to expend these funds, without further appropriation, but with the approval of the Permanent Municipal Building Committee;
2) authorize use of the construction management at risk delivery method pursuant to the provisions of G.L. c.149A, §§1-13;
3) authorize the Treasurer with the approval of the Board of Selectmen, to borrow said sum pursuant to G.L. c. 44, §§7 or 8 or any other enabling authority, and issue bonds or notes of the Town therefor;
4) authorize any premium received by the Town upon the sale of any bonds or notes approved by this vote, less any such premium applied to the payment of the costs of issuance of such bonds or notes, to be applied to the payment of costs approved hereunder in accordance with G.L. c.44, §20, thereby reducing by a like amount the amount authorized to be borrowed to pay such costs; and
5) authorize the Board of Selectmen and other appropriate officials to apply for federal, state, or private grants, enter into any agreements and execute all documents including contracts for a term in excess of three years as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this Article, and to accept any gifts or grants provided to the Town for such purposes; provided, however, that the appropriation made hereunder shall be expressly contingent upon approval by the voters of the Town of a ballot question to exclude from the limitations of Proposition 2 1/2, G.L. c. 59, §21C, the amounts required to pay for any such bonds or notes; and further that no funds appropriated hereunder shall be expended until the Town has been allotted a grant by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners; or take any action related thereto.
SPONSORS’ COMMENTS: From 33 aplications, Wayland was awarded one of nine state construction grants to build a new library at 195 Main Street. This award was the culmination of over two years of work by the Board of Library Trustees, the Library Planning Committee, and community members—to identify Wayland’s current and future library needs, study contemporary library use and design in Massachusetts and elsewhere, and work with architects to determine whether our current library could be expanded and, if not, where the Town could successfully locate a new one.
As a site-specific, time-sensitive offer, the grant presents a unique opportunity to construct a building that reflects Wayland’s commitment to education and dialogue for all ages. Residents deserve a library commensurate with their expectations for intellectual engagement, lifelong learning, and community cohesion. Now is the time for Wayland to invest in the future of this essential Town institution.
FINANCE COMMITTEE COMMENTS: Passage of this article will authorize the appropriation of $28,940,710 to build a new library at 195 Main Street, adjacent to the Middle School, on the site of the former Highway Department garage. The cost of the project to the Town will be $18,052,730. Monies defraying the cost to the Town are:
• $10,137,980 provisional state construction grant, awarded by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) on July 13, 2017
• $750,000 contribution from Board of Library Trustees Millennium Fund
Additional potential cost reduction measures include:
• LEED certification award for energy efficiency up to $354,829, and
• Contributions to a capital campaign, launched by the Trustees.
The Town will receive the grant funds only if this article passes at the April 2018 Town Meeting. If the article does not pass, the grant will be offered to another community in the Commonwealth.
The proposed new library will be a two-story, 33,390 -square-foot, LEED-certifiable building. In addition to its current functions, the library will offer enhanced spaces, services, and collections for children and teenagers; quiet rooms for individual and small-group study; dedicated rooms for lectures, meetings, and technology classes; and improved work areas for staff.
At the November 2015 Special Town Meeting, voters authorized $150,000 for a Library Planning & Design Study to examine the feasibility of expanding and renovating the current library building and the feasibility of building a new library on a different site. After extensive study of the current site and two other parcels, it was determined that expansion at 5 Concord Road was not feasible because the 1.02-acre site in the Aquifer Protection District would not support an increase in either the size of the building or the number of parking spaces needed. The Trustees selected 195 Main Street as the most
appropriate site for a new library.
The proposed building meets the space-needs assessment set forth in Wayland’s Library Building Program, produced by an independent library consultant. The consultant worked closely with library staff to analyze the needs of each department, and then applied national standards and state guidelines to recommend an appropriate size for the Town’s library. To qualify for state grant funding, Wayland must base total square footage on the Library Building Program submitted to and accepted by the MBLC prior to applying for the grant.
If this article passes, the Town will receive the grant in 5 equal installments:
20% ($2,027,596) in May/June 2018 for development of a schematic design
20% in May/June 2019, after construction documents are submitted to the MBLC
20% in May/June 2020 upon issuance of a building permit
20% in May/June 2021 upon issuance of a certificate of occupancy
20% in May/June 2022 after a final audit
The Project Team will endeavor to achieve LEED Platinum certification for energy-efficiency and sustainability and commits to study and incorporate products and technologies that will achieve this objective consistent with budgetary limitations and prudent return on investment criteria. Construction is expected to begin in mid- to late 2019 and the building is scheduled to open in 2021.
The preliminary conceptual design for a new library at 195 Main Street is online at:
https://waylandlibrary.org/architectural-design/
A breakdown of total project costs is as follows. A 10% contingency amount is incorporated into each of the following line items.
Construction $ 21,933,532
Professional services $ 3,170,543
Furnishings, Finishes & Equipment $ 1,598,345
Moving $ 65,000
Escalation $ 2,173,290
Total $28,940,710
The Finance Committee has recommended including this project in a debt exclusion. Under Proposition 2½, the Town’s taxes cannot exceed the levy limit. A debt exclusion allows raising funds beyond the levy limit to pay for bonds associated with a project. The ability to raise the extra levy expires when the debt associated with the project is paid off.
The cost to service the debt for the library construction will cause the average tax bill to increase in Fiscal Year 2020 by $313, or $0.53 per $1,000 of home valuation. The average tax rate impact over the entire term of the debt will be $0.26 per $1,000 of home valuation. It is anticipated that despite the size increase of the new building, the utility costs will not increase. This is because the new building will be built using energy efficient materials and design and will be more efficient than the current inefficient masonry building.
The new building will require increased custodial care at an anticipated annual cost of $41,000 in 2021, and a benefitted half-time clerk at an anticipated cost of $21,000. Insurance costs are anticipated at $16,000 for each of these possible new hires /year. An estimate for an operating budget in 2021 that includes the two new staff is $1,204,812. The requested FY19 budget is $1,090,540. Although the new library will be larger than the current one, its materials budget — i.e., costs of acquiring new items for the collection — will not increase. Wayland already has a healthy acquisitions budget; the problem in the current building is that one item must be removed for every new one added. In the new building, this aggressive removal will not be necessary.
The Board of Library Trustees recommends approval. (4-0-0)
The Library Planning Committee recommends approval. (10-0-0)
The Board of Selectmen recommends approval. (5-0-0)
ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR: This is a one-time opportunity to accept this substantial grant of $10,137,980 to help defray the cost of a new library building that will meet the current and future needs of Wayland residents. This presents a unique opportunity to have one-third of the costs paid for by the state.
The proposed building will address longstanding deficiencies known to town officials, staff, and patrons. In a 2015 town-wide survey, a majority of respondents explained that they underuse—or avoid altogether—the current building at 5 Concord Road because of dissatisfaction with its interior spaces, limitations in services, and parking. Extensive study and due diligence have led to the conclusion that the current library cannot be renovated or expanded, now or in the future, in a way that would meet the Town’s needs. The proposed new library, in contrast, will offer:
• an expanded children’s room with sufficient collection, program, and activity spaces
• a new teen/young adult room with dedicated study spaces
• a wide variety of seating choices (single and group, desk and lounge)
• separate study/work spaces and rooms
• a large multi-purpose room for lectures, large meetings, and events
• a conference room for midsize meetings
• a wing that can be closed and used after hours for other town/group events
• a technology room with public access computers for individual use, classes, and meetings
• ADA compliance
• expanded space for collections
• efficient spaces for staff to work safely and comfortably
• appropriate space to house the library’s technology infrastructure
• a flexible interior design for optimal space configurations
• twice the parking in a well laid out accessible lot
• a site unlikely to flood
The new location is adjacent to the Wayland Middle School and in close proximity to the high school, two of the three elementary schools, and recreation parcels. Communities with dedicated teen rooms find that they are heavily used for homework, informal socializing, interest groups, and organized events.
The varied seating options, study rooms, and conference room will make the library attractive to local interest and professional groups looking for a common space to meet. The Recreation parcel between the library and the middle school will allow students, neighbors, and patrons to move freely between Recreation and library activities. This location, in the Town’s most densely populated area, provides easy access for pedestrians and bicyclists. The building will be designed and built with LEED certification standards in mind, including sustainable materials, and prudent energy and water conservation technologies incorporated into the design.
ARGUMENTS OPPOSED: Some worry about the cost of the project and the impact on the Town’s debt schedule given other competing capital projects on the horizon. Some argue that the scope and size of the project are too large. Some are concerned with the increased staffing and operating costs of a larger library building. Some are concerned that the relocation of the library will affect traffic and congestion at and around the middle school and the adjacent neighborhood.
Some are concerned about the undetermined future of the current building at 5 Concord Road, given the possible use restrictions on a portion of the property. They argue that the Town may need to go through the process of challenging the terms of a public charitable trust, with an unclear outcome. In addition, there will be costs to operating the building after the library function has moved.
RECOMMENDATION: The Finance Committee recommends approval. (5-0-2)
QUANTUM OF VOTE : Two-thirds vote required for borrowing – see Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 44, Sections 2, 7, and 8.
For more information about this article, contact Aida Gennis, Chair of the Board of Library Trustees, at wgs3155@gmail.com.