Valerie Murphy, Chair
Wicomico County Public Library Board of Trustees
122 S. Division St.
Salisbury, MD 21801
Dear Ms. Murphy:
In response to your letter of Thursday, March 11, 2010, requesting a specific proposal for the sale of Parking Lot#1 as the location of the new Library, I am offering proposals for not only Lot #1 but also for a site on East Main St and for the air rights over Lots #11 and 12. Please understand, however, that I have not had an opportunity to discuss these proposals with the City Council. Before any proposal can be considered official, we need to have the consensus of the Council as well. Despite the fact that I have not discussed this with the Council, I am forwarding these proposals to you in an effort to expedite the process so that we can meet the March 18, 2010 deadline stated in your letter. The City Council has a work session scheduled for Monday morning, March 15 and I have asked that Ms. Smith place this matter on the that agenda for discussion.
I am forwarding proposals for three separate sites because I believe that it is in the best interest of both the City and the Library, that we not restrict ourselves to just one site at this time. The three sites on which I have presented proposals are: Parking Lot #1, as requested by the Library; the privately owned property on East Main Street between the site of the old Boulevard Theater and Poplar Hill Ave.; and the air rights for Parking Lots #11 and 12.
My proposals for these sites are as follows:
Lot #1
City sells entire lot #1 to County for $1.55 million (as an option, the City could sell only approximately one-half of the lot and provide appropriate assurances that the rest of the lot would continue to be available as a parking lot.)
City receives current Library upon completion of construction of new Library
Construct Library on lower portion of lot
Parking lot would be open to the public as well as accessible to the Library
Library would be responsible for replacing parking lost during construction (City is willing to work with library on options)
There is consensus among Urban Salisbury, Greater Salisbury, and the Chamber of Commerce on this proposal
E. Main Street Site
County purchases properties on block of East Main Street between old Boulevard Theater site and Poplar Hill Ave. ($2.2 million approximately)
City agrees to close Calvert St. between U.S. 13 and Poplar Hill Ave. to make Lot #10 more accessible to library and to create additional parking
City agrees to assure Library will have access to 50 parking spaces on Lot#10 on a long-term lease even if Lot #10 is ultimately sold by the City
City receives current library upon completion of construction of new library
Upon completion of construction of new Library, the City agrees to move out of Government Office Building
There is consensus among Urban Salisbury, Greater Salisbury, and the Chamber of Commerce on this proposal
Lots #11 and 12
City has air rights over Lots #11 and 12 and Market Street appraised
City sells air rights for Lots #11 and 12 and Market Street for $750,000 (if necessary to expedite the purchase, the City will include a grounded footprint below the air rights)
Sale of air rights will not interfere with existing private property on Market Street
City agrees to escrow $750,000 and reinvest in the project
Library would be responsible for replacing parking lost during construction (City is willing to work with library on options)
Library would be responsible for replacing on-site any parking lost after construction as a result of the placement of the building on the site (the parking could be located on the deck that would be constructed over Lots 11 and 12 for the Library building).
There is consensus among Urban Salisbury, Greater Salisbury, and the Chamber of Commerce on this proposal
I hope that these proposals will provide you with a basis and a starting point for your discussions with the City and County Councils and the County Executive.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
27 comments:
I've got a proposal......the govt. quits spending all of tax payers dollars on nonessential things and we the people won't lose our houses are land, ect. because we'll be able to pay our bills. This would be like living in Alice's Wonderland though.
I am not a big fan of any of this but if it were to happen I think the old library would make a good Government Office Building.
I can hardly believe how these people make so many sweet deals with tax payers money, all totally unnecessary...millions tossed back and forth like a shell game while we the tax payer sweat out our lifes blood so you crooked sh!ts can figure out the most useless ways to spend it. You heads should roll for spending like this when the Country is in turmoil. Shame on all of you involved.
NO new library!!!!!
Fix what NEEDS to be fixed.
Get rid of the riff raff out front. There is plenty of parking in and around the library.
I'm glad my pay was cut and I could take furlough days so that the county can purchase a parking lot for the civic center and help fund a new library. How many more furloughs can I look forward to? (note:sarcasm)
What the hell is wrong with the present library?
Spend, spend, spend. There's a bottomless pit of taxpayer money out there! Wooooo Hooooo!
Hey, then we'll demolish the most energy efficient building in Downtown Salisbury!
YEAH, BABY!
The County pays the city all this money for the property, and then deeds them the old library. What the devil! Build it out in the couny, that is if one has to be built, and the devil with salisbury.
You have got to be kidding me! That's all I can say about this.
This is awesome! It looks like our gov't might FINALLY be doing something right. I know we can't afford a new library right now but when we can, this type of thinking, flexibility and public-private endeavor will lead the way to a renaissance in SBY. Until then... we the citizens sit, wait, and hope politics as usual don't get in the way!
Boy, this all sure sounds expensive. I hope the county doesn't buy another parking lot when we have so many REAL needs in the county. The city will be making out like a fat cat with these proposal. I say, wait on the library, and go ahead and kick the city out of the GOB. Or else raise their rent to........750 k a year. Then, in 2 years, the county can buy the lot, and THEN, the city can move into the old library. If they want to play hardball, so can the county.
What in the devil is the matter with this mayor, we do not need a new library. City Council, you are just plain nuts if you go along with any of these proposals. Leave the library alone, update it and leave it where it is, period, end of story.
Sounds like extortion from the mayor.
This is a perfect example of why we should have a consolidated county government and eliminate the city government.
The economy is in the toilte. We, the tax paying public, find our selves forced to cut back and make sacrifices left and right to survive. Meanwhile, our government is throwing money at unnecessary projects!! A new library is NOT a neccessity!! The only people that use the old one are the derelicts who go their to surf the net for free!! Time to get your priorities straight!!!!!!
The fix must be in already if he submitted the proposal without even talking to the council about it beforehand as he indicated.
NOTE that the 'Greater Salisbury Committee' says they favor this-- what does that tell you?
Anon 6:23 PM has the best idea yet.
KICK THE CITY OUT OF THE GOB NOW!!
They have been mooching off the county for years and if our county leaders don't agree then lets kick them to the curb in November.
8:16 PM
My children all use the library and they are honor role students not derelicts as you say. But then again scrw the library and an money for schools, They will be better off not learning a damn thing i guess
It sounds like the Mayor is responding to more demands from the Library. Why don't their Trustees admit nobody has the money to build a new library?
Library people, forget the new palace. Live with what you've got just like everybody else.
I cant believe how tone deaf so many politicians are. I guess it comes from years of deficit spending and no consequenses from the behavior.
The state, county, and city have zero extra dollars. We have a functional library. Why are we even thinking about spending millions on a new one at this time?
I talk my granddaughter there and what I do not see is derelicts, and what I find there are families. If you never go, then please don't make such ridiculous and wrong statements!
I don't doubt that we need a library. My problem is, if the city seems eager to scoop up the old one, do we really need a new one? Especially now when we have essential services that cannot even be funded.
Who is the property owner offering to sell his property on Beaglin Park Drive? I think there may be some self-dealing going on here.
12:57 AM
Are you sure that they are your children?
role(roll)
scrw(screw)
an(any)
,(.)
i(I)
One of the Beaglin owners is our buddies of the old Salisbury Mall.
To the person who got upset about the mayor not having talked to the council, the old hag that runs the council said she wouldn't put it on the agenda until she knew exactly what the mayor would support.
If the current library is good enough for a new city govt office building, why not keep the library in its existing building? There's nothing wrong with the library as is...how foolish
Someone who responded to your first posting about the library had a great idea. Why not consider the Feldman building? I am a preservationist who believes in saving historical edifices where possible. I wonder how much it would cost to renovate and retrofit this old building for a library? Perhaps it would prove not to be feasible, but surely some thought should go into it. Using a newer existing building such as the former Giant property, as another suggested, would be another way to go.
The library has had to cut hours and take other cost-saving measures, so how do they think they could pay for a new building and the additional employees that a larger library would no doubt require?
I think a lot more research and thought are needed. The bottom line is: Is a new library a "need" or a "want?" We all need to live within our means, including Salisbury and Wicomico County.
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