- How much is this going to cost?
- The estimated cost for the new library building, from construction to final details such as furniture and rose bushes for the learning garden is $6.073 million. The overall ask of $1.1 million (a total of $1.425 million annually) will cover: constructing and operating a new, larger library facility at 79 East Main Street in Stony Point; rental and moving costs during the construction period; debt service; and proper operation of the town’s new library through at least 2034.
- What will that cost my family?
- When broken down, the funding request for 2025 is $0.292 total per $1,000 of full market home value for homestead parcels. Homestead homes with the full market values below, would pay the following for the library beginning in 2025 (based on current assessed values & rates)
- $100,00 = $28.43
- $200,000 = $56.85
- $300,000 = $85.28
- $400,000 = $113.71
- $500,000 = $142.13
- $600,000 = $170.56
- $700,000 = $198.99
- $800,000 = $227.41
- $900,000 = 255.84
- $1,000,000 = $284.27
- Specific home values can be found via the 2024 Final Assessment Roll on the Town of Stony Point site at https://tinyurl.com/Stony-Point-Assessment-Roll. This funding would be collected through Town of Stony Point taxes.
- When broken down, the funding request for 2025 is $0.292 total per $1,000 of full market home value for homestead parcels. Homestead homes with the full market values below, would pay the following for the library beginning in 2025 (based on current assessed values & rates)
- Will this make the school taxes go up?
- School taxes will not be affected by this project whatsoever.
- Why do we need a new library?
- Rose Memorial’s current building is 3,500 square feet and has not been expanded since 1967, despite the population of Stony Point almost doubling in that time and expectations of the role of a public library in a community vastly changing. Most library programs currently have waitlists or have to be held off-site, and can only be at the mercy of: weather (in the parks), our meager budget (rental space), or fit in to the narrow gaps of time when town spaces are not in use by other groups.
- How big will the new space be?
- The new library will be just under 10,000 square feet of usable square feet broken up over a basement, ground level, and second floor.
- What will the building include?
- A teen room, which will be the only recreational and learning space in Stony Point dedicated exclusively to the needs and interests of teenagers. It will be staffed by a full-time teen librarian.
- A large meeting room for library programs, events, and community meetings
- Separate spaces for quiet work, group study and comfortable reading
- An all-ages experiential learning studio for programs in arts, cooking, play-based learning, science, technology, and engineering
- A local history archive
- A fenced-in garden for small programs, gathering, and reading
- A children’s room featuring an early literacy play space, cozy reading nooks, and a floor-to-ceiling view of the garden
- Study rooms for public use
- Sustainability measures to ensure maximum energy efficiency
- Why not just renovate the inside of the current building?
- Working with an architect and structural engineer, we looked at various options for the library. These options included expanding the library in its existing footprint, removing the ’60s addition and building a new addition, and finally taking down the existing building while saving as much original material as possible and building a new library. The structural feasibility and the long-term environmental costs were taken into consideration. Expanding the existing library by underpinning the foundation would be costly and would only provide an expanded basement space. The structure is CMU with unfilled cores with a brick veneer; adding a story would not be viable. The original 1940’s building does not have insulation in the walls or under the slab, which would be common for the period it was constructed. A cavity wall would have to be constructed inside the masonry wall to insulate the building, reducing the usable space. With these factors in mind, we looked into building a new structure on the existing site. This decision was not undertaken lightly. A costly renovation that would not provide the space to serve the needs of a growing population did not seem to be in the community’s best interest.
- How will this project benefit me if I have internet at home and am not much of a reader?
- The days of libraries as dusty, silent, repositories for books are over! Modern libraries are above and beyond centers for gathering, creating, entertainment, and learning for the whole community. They offer not only story times for children, but FREE robotics programs, fitness classes, expert-led art classes, movie nights, field trips, concerts, community gardening plots, cooking classes and more for all age ranges. The new Rose Memorial Library would have spaces for work and play, fast-wifi, and technology that might be hard to find elsewhere.
- Can the library complete this project without public funding?
- While Rose Memorial Library will be pursuing grants and accepting private donations to reduce costs, constructing and operating a new building cannot happen without public funding.
- What is the process for making this happen?
- The first step is collecting enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. The petition for signatures will be circulated in Stony Point by town residents in mid-July. The petition needs 25 valid signatures of registered Stony Point voters to qualify. If the petition qualifies, then a funding referendum will be placed before the Stony Point voters in November 2024. If a majority yes vote is received, construction will commence in 2025.
- Can we sign the petition to get this on the ballot at the library?
- The library is legally not permitted to electioneer in any way, shape, or form. Rose Memorial Library can and will only present unbiased factual information. Petitions will be handled exclusively by independent members of the Stony Point community, not in conjunction with any library programs, locations, or events.
- It is a larger building with longer opening hours and additional services. Will the library be coming back to town residents asking for increased funding as soon as the building is open?
- No, town residents will not be asked to contribute more to the library as soon as it opens. The library has worked with a financial planner to create projected staffing and operational costs for the new building, and those figures have been taken into account in the total amount requested for this project.
- Why isn’t Rose Memorial renovating and moving into an existing larger building in town?
- Rose Memorial Library has spent many years exploring all possible options for growth via ongoing conversations with patrons, community members, and staff, as well as consulting with a wide range of experts and local leaders in real estate, architecture, engineering, and politics. It has been determined that the most cost-effective and efficient action is to stay on the property that is owned by the library, take down the current building, and rebuild on the site.
- One option that was explored by Rose Memorial Library and our team of architects and engineers in 2023 was the possibility of renovating the smallest, most updated building at the former Letchworth complex. At 20,000 square feet, the building was still too large for the library’s needs and would have required a minimum of $11.6 to 15 million dollars in renovation costs, not including asbestos remediation. The Library deemed this project too expensive, especially considering that they would not own the building/property and the greater Letchworth property is falling into disrepair and its future plans are still very much up in the air.
- Can my scout troop/seniors group/non-profit use the new meeting room?
- Yes! The meeting room will be available, by reservation, for community group use.
- Is there a place to hold an interview or small business meeting?
- There will be 2 small, private study rooms available for academic or work use.
- Will the new building be ADA accessible?
- Yes. The entire building was designed to be not just ADA-accessible but ADA-welcoming.
- Will the new building have any sustainability features?
- The plans contain extensive sustainability and resiliency features, both to meet the needs our community as it addresses the challenges presented by climate change and to reduce operating costs
- What will the new project include for my teen/tween?
- The new building would feature a supervised teen space that would include a full-time teen librarian, its own set of computers, a study room, a YA collection, comfortable, welcoming spaces for hanging out, and glass doors so that teens can safely feel comfortable being themselves without disrupting more calm spaces elsewhere in the building.
- Where can we park?
- The plan allows for existing parking behind the library and along the street to remain. We are also within 100 feet of a free municipal parking lot with over 55 spaces. In addition, as this location is right in the heart of Stony Point, it is walkable or bikeable for many SP residents. Bike racks will be available.
- Will there be room for tutoring?
- Yes, the building will include rooms and areas appropriate for tutoring, small group study, business meetings, or for visitors who prefer a quiet experience.
- Has the plan been taken to the Building Department?
- We are aware the site is located in the R-1 zoning district, and the proposed plan with full-knowledge that it will require area variances as the site is preexisting non-conforming. Our first priority was presenting the plan to the full Stony Point community for feedback. The next step will be to bring the plan to the Building Department and Land Use Boards to start a discussion and apply for the required variances
- I have a question that wasn’t answered here. Who should I ask?
- You can reach out to Alice Meacham, Director of Rose Memorial Library, at ameacham@rcls.org with any questions.
- Can you come talk to my community group about the project?
- Sure! Reach out to Alice Meacham, Rose Memorial Library Director at ameacham@rcls.org