Township will be building two additions onto the library, according to plans
By: Stephanie Brown
MONROE Major changes are in store for the township’s public library.
Plans to double the existing facility’s size were introduced during a press conference June 16. Township officials said construction could start as early as January 2007.
The proposal, designed by architect Anthony Iovino of Arcari + Iovino Architects PC of Little Ferry, calls for larger children’s and adult sections, as well as additional space for circulation, staff and support.
The township will begin soliciting bids within the next couple weeks and hopes to award a contract by the end of the fall, said Township Business Administrator Wayne Hamilton. The project is expected to take 18 months and cost approximately $7.5 million, he said.
For the most part, the library, on Municipal Plaza will be open during the construction, Irene Goldberg, library director, said.
The library’s expansion is part of a larger township building project that also includes a new senior center and putting an addition on the community center on Monmouth Road.
The Township Council approved a bond ordinance for $20 million in March that set aside $7.5 million each for construction of the senior center and expanded library, and $5 million for the expanded Community Center.
The Community Center expansion, which would double the size of the existing 15,224-square-foot building, will include a new gymnasium, weight room, an exercise room and two meeting rooms.
The Senior Center currently occupies 6,500 square feet on the municipal building’s lower level. Officials said the current facility doesn’t have enough parking or room for programming. It serves about 25,000 township residents per year, according to official estimates, and operates the township’s food pantry.
A location for the new center has not yet been determined, said Township Engineer Ernest Feist.
The projects’ total cost will be financed over 30 years, and according to Mr. Hamilton, would cost $27.43 in taxes for a owner of a home assessed at the township average of $168,010 pays per year.
However, township officials said taxpayers will not feel the effects of the almost $30 increase by way of a tax hike, because it would be offset by other areas, including budget cuts and retiring debt.
The current library is 18,123 square feet, but Ms. Goldberg said the space isn’t large enough to suit the needs of the growing community, which has many senior citizens and families with young children.
Ms. Goldberg said both groups tend to spend more time in the library; senior citizens typically settle in with a book or newspaper, and many children attend the library’s youth programs.
Plans call for an additional 11,615 square feet for a larger adult reading and adult fiction/nonfiction shelving area, which is currently 11,434 square-feet. Also shown in the design is an additional 8,979 square feet for the children’s section, which will include an early-learning area for preschoolers.
"Many times during the day every seat in the library is taken," Ms. Goldberg said. "That was an indication we needed to do something."
The library has 24,351 members, and about 33,255 materials are checked out on a monthly basis, said Circulation Supervisor MaryAnn Reiner. She also said the library picks up about 200 new members monthly.
Mayor Pucci said the whole community would benefit from the project because it will increase the value of Monroe’s homes.
"Even if you never use our library, this is still the best kind of investment for our community, because if you own a home, it’s going to escalate the cost of your home," he said.