Space allotted for town library

Part of Wright South eyed for possible new building.

By: Michelle McGuinness
   The township has provided a 10,000-square-foot placeholder for a possible freestanding library in its plan for the Wright South property near the Cranbury School, Committeewoman Pari Stave, liaison to the library board of trustees, announced at the committee’s meeting Aug. 9.
   Ms. Stave said the placeholder would be part of a Village Green to be built beside the Babe Ruth baseball field planned for the Wright South tract. The village could accommodate a freestanding library as well as community space in the future.
   "It is an option," Ms. Stave said, stressing that there is no definite plan for a freestanding library yet.
   She said the placeholder is important now because if the township did decide to build a freestanding library, it wouldn’t have to purchase new land to do so.
   "Plans for a freestanding library have been discussed, not by Township Committee but by the library trustees, but there has yet to be a formal decision," she said.
   Currently, the Cranbury Public Library shares space with the Cranbury School library in the Cranbury School.
   "This was just a wake-up call from her that this was in the minds of the committee members," said trustees President Frank Brennan.
   He said the library is working on an assessment of its current facilities and services.
   The assessment, to be performed by an outside consultant, looks at the current library’s ability to serve the community, Mr. Brennan said. He estimated the total cost will be about $3,600, to be paid by the library.
   "We want it to be an objective assessment," Mr. Brennan said. "That’s all we’re hoping. We’re not pointing in any one direction."
   He said he hopes the assessment will start within the month and expects it to be completed by the end of the year.
   Mr. Brennan said the results will be presented to the Township Committee and the community, and he hopes the assessment will get the township and the library board on the same page in terms of what Cranbury’s library needs are.
   "It would be wonderful to have a freestanding library," Ms. Stave said, "but the need to do so has to be weighed against what the cost to the community would be, especially because we’re motivated now more than ever to keep our taxes low."