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 Posted: Wed, Jul 27 2011, 5:23 pm EDT Post subject: Cranbury Unveils Plans for New Library |
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The Cranbury Library board of trustees unveiled a concept plan for a new $3.2 million library Monday night, which would be located off of North Main Street and tentatively open in 2015.
The building would be privately funded, according to trustees, with fundraising managed by the nonprofit Cranbury Public Library Foundation.
KSS Architects, of Princeton, developed the plans pro bono, and the library foundation will need to raise $2.7 million of the $3.2 million needed for its construction. Currently, the library foundation has $500,000 in reserve for its construction.
“We feel that it will be wonderful to have a free-standing library that will serve as a community living room and welcome everyone,” Cranbury Library Director Marilyn Mullen said. “A great place to encourage reading and life-long learning. We think it will be a draw for businesses and keep the downtown area and Main Street vital by having another destination in Cranbury and keeping people in Cranbury.”
The new library, which would be approximately 10,000 square feet, would be across from the Cranbury School, between the tennis court and baseball field, Mullen said. She also said that there would be no parking spots would be taken away when the new building opens and that there may be some parking added.
The current 6,700 square foot library serves the school and public. That would change when the new library opens. The current library, which was built in the 1960s, would only serve the school.
http://eastwindsor.patch.com/articles/cranbury-unveils-plans-for-new-library |
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| Posted: Wed, Jul 27 2011, 5:26 pm EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Unveils Plans for New Library |
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| As long as not one penny comes from tax payers that sounds fine. We shall see. |
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Guest
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| Posted: Wed, Jul 27 2011, 10:01 pm EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Unveils Plans for New Library |
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| Guest wrote: | | As long as not one penny comes from tax payers that sounds fine. We shall see. |
That's kind of a silly thing to say. The library is a publicly funded institution, so of course the taxpayers will contribute. At least $500k of tax money has already been set aside. |
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| Posted: Thu, Jul 28 2011, 7:49 am EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Unveils Plans for New Library |
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| And the taxpayers will keep paying and paying and paying forever to keep that monster fed once it gets built. Free stading libraries will be the dinosaurs of this century. |
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Guest
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| Posted: Thu, Jul 28 2011, 9:49 am EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Unveils Plans for New Library |
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1). Public libraries are funded by your tax dollars. Each town decides by referendum that it wants a library; then there is steady funding.
Look for the exact amount on your tax bill that will come soon(result of a new law to provide transparency into how libraries are funded.
2). All research show that libraries will not be dinosaurs. They are being used more than ever. Yes, the book format may change, but libraries are people places.
3). Our new library will be built from private donations - wow- these residents are really doing something great for the town. |
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Guest
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| Posted: Thu, Jul 28 2011, 11:08 am EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Unveils Plans for New Library |
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Personally I don't blame supporters of the stand-alone library for trying to raise the money privately, but I remain skeptical it is realistic. They will need to raise the equivalent of $2,500 per residential household to do it, and that seems unlikely. Sure they may get some of it from local businesses, and perhaps they will find some grants too. But even with all that, I find it an aggressive goal.
What happens, by the way, if I give money to the campaign and it never reaches its goal? Will I get it back?
What about construction cost escalations? In some years they are double digit year-over-year and there is still at least 3 years until the expected construction. Also, the cost is just an estimate at this point. They do not have a final design let alone construction drawings or a bid package so the actual costs may be materially higher. It could be less, too, but that is rare.
And what about parking? It would be a huge problem if they build this and tried to just rely on the existing shared school and municipal building lot. By their own admission they expect substantially more traffic to the stand-alone library than the non-student use of the shared one, or if not what’s the point of the new library in the first place. That parking lot is often completely full and traffic flow is already a problem. I suspect the school will aggressively oppose the location if they don’t supplement with additional parking, probably on the other side of the building, which also means extending a lane between the lot and Park Place. And none of this cost is factored into the existing estimate or campaign.
I am curious whether any of the existing Library Board members or fundraising campaign chairs would pledge on the record that they have no intent of ever seeking public funds from Cranbury Township to supplement the final costs for the building or the parking and access and would support abandoning the project should it not 100% achieve all costs through private donations and other non-taxpayer sources such as grants. I suspect we will hear crickets on that challenge, kind of like the swim club board members response to the request to state on the record that they have enough cash to pay back the outstanding bond requests. |
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| Posted: Thu, Jul 28 2011, 11:47 am EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Unveils Plans for New Library |
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Do you actually think library board or foundation board members
regularly read and respond on this board? I don't think so...
I would suggest attending a library board meeting. They are public meetings if you have any questions.... |
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Guest
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| Posted: Thu, Jul 28 2011, 12:03 pm EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Unveils Plans for New Library |
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| Guest wrote: | Do you actually think library board or foundation board members
regularly read and respond on this board? I don't think so...
I would suggest attending a library board meeting. They are public meetings if you have any questions.... |
Of course some of them do. Some of them have posted here, by name, numerous times, not to mention their regular anonymous posts in support of the project. I know for a fact some of them follow the libary topics here because they have said so. |
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Guest
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| Posted: Thu, Jul 28 2011, 12:41 pm EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Unveils Plans for New Library |
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I just really don't think that many board members read this forum.
And why would they sign something if they did? Rarely does anyone own up to their comments.... |
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Guest
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| Posted: Thu, Jul 28 2011, 12:44 pm EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Unveils Plans for New Library |
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| Guest wrote: | I just really don't think that many board members read this forum.
And why would they sign something if they did? Rarely does anyone own up to their comments.... |
LOL. You are questioning reality. Just look up old posts. Regardless of the "why" they have signed their names. But I suspect they post anonymously even more. Who said anything about "many"? The word I saw was "some." |
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Guest
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| Posted: Thu, Jul 28 2011, 5:57 pm EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Unveils Plans for New Library |
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| Guest wrote: |
I am curious whether any of the existing Library Board members or fundraising campaign chairs would pledge on the record that they have no intent of ever seeking public funds from Cranbury Township to supplement the final costs for the building or the parking and access and would support abandoning the project should it not 100% achieve all costs through private donations and other non-taxpayer sources such as grants. I suspect we will hear crickets on that challenge, kind of like the swim club board members response to the request to state on the record that they have enough cash to pay back the outstanding bond requests. |
Your challenge doesn't make sense. For one thing, there is already $500,000 of tax revenueset aside for the project.
Beyond that, if a thru road and a parking lot are going to benefit the school, Main st businesses AND the library, it seems reasonable to expect the town and/or school to contribute to make that happenn.
Lots of people think the road and parking lot are a good idea regardless of a new library. |
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Guest
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| Posted: Thu, Jul 28 2011, 7:50 pm EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Unveils Plans for New Library |
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| Guest wrote: | | Guest wrote: |
I am curious whether any of the existing Library Board members or fundraising campaign chairs would pledge on the record that they have no intent of ever seeking public funds from Cranbury Township to supplement the final costs for the building or the parking and access and would support abandoning the project should it not 100% achieve all costs through private donations and other non-taxpayer sources such as grants. I suspect we will hear crickets on that challenge, kind of like the swim club board members response to the request to state on the record that they have enough cash to pay back the outstanding bond requests. |
Your challenge doesn't make sense. For one thing, there is already $500,000 of tax revenueset aside for the project.
Beyond that, if a thru road and a parking lot are going to benefit the school, Main st businesses AND the library, it seems reasonable to expect the town and/or school to contribute to make that happenn.
Lots of people think the road and parking lot are a good idea regardless of a new library. |
You didn’t read it carefully enough. I was aware of the money set aside and previously referenced it myself. Beyond which, they will continue to get more funds via their state mandated minimum funding unless we vote to have no library at all or the State changes the law. There’s no point in worrying about that because it’s going to be paid to them whether they build or not. So that’s why I wrote “seek” public funds, meaning ask for money beyond that to which they are automatically entitled and will receive. As for the road, sure it might benefit school traffic too, though how much is debatable since it is conceived as a one-way entrance only and the primary bottleneck is with departures. But it may or may not ever get done without the library whereas the library project requires it to work as a complete project which is why it is insincere to project the costs needed to be raised privately without considering it. Even if you had your way and split the costs, the library’s portion is not considered in the current fundraising campaign goal. |
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Guest
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| Posted: Thu, Jul 28 2011, 10:14 pm EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Unveils Plans for New Library |
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| Guest wrote: | | Guest wrote: |
I am curious whether any of the existing Library Board members or fundraising campaign chairs would pledge on the record that they have no intent of ever seeking public funds from Cranbury Township to supplement the final costs for the building or the parking and access and would support abandoning the project should it not 100% achieve all costs through private donations and other non-taxpayer sources such as grants. I suspect we will hear crickets on that challenge, kind of like the swim club board members response to the request to state on the record that they have enough cash to pay back the outstanding bond requests. |
Your challenge doesn't make sense. For one thing, there is already $500,000 of tax revenueset aside for the project.
Beyond that, if a thru road and a parking lot are going to benefit the school, Main st businesses AND the library, it seems reasonable to expect the town and/or school to contribute to make that happenn.
Lots of people think the road and parking lot are a good idea regardless of a new library. |
Why does it seem reasonable for the "Town and/or School" to contribute to the Libraries parking lot? |
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Guest
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| Posted: Thu, Jul 28 2011, 11:18 pm EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Unveils Plans for New Library |
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| Guest wrote: | | Guest wrote: | | Guest wrote: |
I am curious whether any of the existing Library Board members or fundraising campaign chairs would pledge on the record that they ... would support abandoning the project should it not 100% achieve all costs through private donations and other non-taxpayer sources such as grants.
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Your challenge doesn't make sense. For one thing, there is already $500,000 of tax revenue set aside for the project... |
You didn’t read it carefully enough... |
Apparently, you didn't read it (or write it) carefully enough. You were pretty clear that your challenge includes "100% costs through private donations and other non-taxpayer sources." Your challenge doesn't make sense because $500k of taxpayer revenue is already set aside for the project. |
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Guest
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| Posted: Thu, Jul 28 2011, 11:22 pm EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Unveils Plans for New Library |
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| Guest wrote: | | Guest wrote: | | Guest wrote: |
I am curious whether any of the existing Library Board members or fundraising campaign chairs would pledge on the record that they have no intent of ever seeking public funds from Cranbury Township to supplement the final costs for the building or the parking and access and would support abandoning the project should it not 100% achieve all costs through private donations and other non-taxpayer sources such as grants. I suspect we will hear crickets on that challenge, kind of like the swim club board members response to the request to state on the record that they have enough cash to pay back the outstanding bond requests. |
Your challenge doesn't make sense. For one thing, there is already $500,000 of tax revenueset aside for the project.
Beyond that, if a thru road and a parking lot are going to benefit the school, Main st businesses AND the library, it seems reasonable to expect the town and/or school to contribute to make that happenn.
Lots of people think the road and parking lot are a good idea regardless of a new library. |
Why does it seem reasonable for the "Town and/or School" to contribute to the Libraries parking lot? |
Do you think it is reasonable to expect the library to pay all of the costs of a municipal parking lot that will be used by the school, library and town? |
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Guest
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| Posted: Thu, Jul 28 2011, 11:28 pm EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Unveils Plans for New Library |
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| Guest wrote: | | Guest wrote: | | Guest wrote: | | Guest wrote: |
I am curious whether any of the existing Library Board members or fundraising campaign chairs would pledge on the record that they have no intent of ever seeking public funds from Cranbury Township to supplement the final costs for the building or the parking and access and would support abandoning the project should it not 100% achieve all costs through private donations and other non-taxpayer sources such as grants. I suspect we will hear crickets on that challenge, kind of like the swim club board members response to the request to state on the record that they have enough cash to pay back the outstanding bond requests. |
Your challenge doesn't make sense. For one thing, there is already $500,000 of tax revenueset aside for the project.
Beyond that, if a thru road and a parking lot are going to benefit the school, Main st businesses AND the library, it seems reasonable to expect the town and/or school to contribute to make that happenn.
Lots of people think the road and parking lot are a good idea regardless of a new library. |
Why does it seem reasonable for the "Town and/or School" to contribute to the Libraries parking lot? |
Do you think it is reasonable to expect the library to pay all of the costs of a municipal parking lot that will be used by the school, library and town? |
Yes, it makes sense for the library to pay for a parking lot for their new building since it would be primarily built for the library. Is there a plan to build it otherwise? |
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