Letter to the Editor – Library Myths
With the Library Referendum vote right around the corner, I want to take this time to address the the myths I have discussed with people over the last month.
Myth #1. The location for the new library is in a flood plain and has flooded.
The proposed location for the building on South Newton is not a flood plain. While the north western corner enters a flood plain, the site remained above water during the Spring 2011 floods.
Myth #2. The new library will increase my utility costs.
A new library will not affect your utility costs any more than any another building being constructed will affect your utility costs.
Myth #3. The parking issue is being blown out of proportion.
Anyone that has driven to the library for a scheduled event (e.g. book reading, bubble truck) will likely have parked away from the library.
Anyone attempting to access handicapped parking is often disappointed.
Anyone driving the streets adjacent are forced to weave around parked cars.
Parking is a problem.
Myth #4. Having the library downtown is safer for kids.
The children living downtown ride bikes near the traffic do not need the increased traffic caused by a bigger library drawing more patrons.
Rebuilding downtown will increase traffic, worsen parking, and be less safe for children.
Myth #5. The library does not get enough visitors to warrant a bigger building.
Myth #6. We are only building a new library because neighboring cities did.
Since September the JPL genealogy room, alone, received visitors from the following cities in Indiana: Loogootee, Hardinsburg, Elizabethtown, Corydon, Evansville, and Indianapolis. They also received visitors from the following states: FL, MI, WA, PA, CO, UT and VA.
The library also has regularly scheduled events: craft club, wii competitions, movies, puppet shows, etc.
From 2005 to 2010, our library has had books and media circulation increase 47%, computer usage has increased 50%, and program attendance has increased 62%. Nationwide library visitation has increased 70%.
Myth #7. The proposed location is too close to the jail and not safe.
The location is further from the jail than the cinemas, the hotel, and the Great Wall.
Myth #8. There is no reason to build on South Newton when everything is building north.
South Newton and the surrounding area has seen a lot of development in recent years with the construction of the Riverwalk, Los Bravos, Spirit of Jasper train depot, Azura, and the Jasper City Mill.
While development is not happening over night, it is happening and the library would be a beautiful asset there.
Myth #9. We need the library to save downtown.
The proposed location on South Newton is only 2/10 of a mile further from downtown than the current location.
A new building cannot save an area. If citizens are concerned about downtown Jasper then they need to address those things they feel are making it undesirable and not construct a building then believe the problem is solved.
Furthermore, while an empty building will hurt the downtown area, should the referendum pass, the city should use this as an opportunity to beautify downtown. Tear down the building and make it a green park, a wi-fi park, a splash park or even a dog park.
Myth #10. It would be cheaper to build at the current location.
Rebuilding at the current location will require the purchase of several surrounding properties and the possible permanent closing of a portion of one street. It would also require books to be relocated and a temporary library leased. It was concluded that construction at the current site would cost between $500,000 – $1M dollars more than at South Newton.
Building at the current location will require a two story building involving more bathrooms, installation of an elevator, and plenty of rooms for stairs. The end result, less building for the money.
Furthermore, no designs at the current site are build ready and waiting costs money.
Myth #11. It would be cheaper to wait and build later.
Absolutely not. The current interest rate on the loan is 3.75% for the $6.3M loan. Assuming a more likely interest rate of 5.5% in the future, we would need to borrow less than 5.5M for the total cost of the loan to equal less than the current plan. Doing this will give us less money for the building while spending the same amount.
The expected tax increase is approximately 5ยข per $100 in assessed property value. Less than that if you have exemptions. That is approximately $40/yr on a $200K home with exemptions.
So the question becomes, do you want to invest $40/year, now, on a library 3X what we have or do we pay $41/year, starting later, on a building only twice as big with poor parking and worse traffic conditions?
BONUS IDEA
For those on the JPL PAC looking for an idea for the new library, I have one. Add a small lounge/lobby that is part of the building but not part of the library. Lease it out for someone to create a small coffee shop with its own entrance but with an entrance to the library. The smell of coffee and scones with a good book sounds great right now.
Joseph Huddleston
This is helpful. You still don't address one of the main issues people have, the size of the building. Most people would have very happy with doubling the size and adding on in the future is required. The next step would be the detail why the building must be triple in size, besides we looked at the Jones' building and thought ours needs to be bigger. That is the logic most people understand was used in determining the size.
The rebuttal I have heard for Myth #8, and is a good point, that land should be for future entertainment uses not a library.
You have an uphill fight, I would suggest gathering your supporters and knocking on doors and talking to people.
I can address this two ways:
1. Research was done to predict the size of the library needed based on the current traffic and how it has increased over the last 6 years. This library will accommodate that growth for many years. After all, we do not only want to build for what we need now but what we will need 20 years from now.
As well this building can easily be added onto. Something the current location would not be able to accommodate if we built there.
You can find assessment details here: http://www.newjasperlibrary.com/assessment/assess…
You can also check out this link from the JPL PAC facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/notes/jasper-public-libra…
2. What we have now is build ready. No other plans are good to go. Voting no will cause the process to start over and as a result postpone everything a couple years or more.
As a result, we might get a smaller building (if deemed) but it is likely that the resulting total cost will be more expensive (even if smaller, myth #11). During the time getting a new proposal ready, the interest will have gone up and material costs increased.
Doing nothing now means paying more for less later.
Also, even if we could build a smaller building now, it may not cost less.
Rebuilding at the current location has been quoted to cost more. However, assuming it was cheaper, would the difference in savings be worth it. Is it worth paying $10/yr for a $100K home (after exemptions) for a building only twice the size when a significantly larger building would cost only $3 more per year? Is it worth paying more and getting less building due to stairs, bathrooms, and an elevator?
Of course, I can only guess at the amount because such a building plan does not exist.
As for the #8 rebuttal, I have only heard the rumors you have heard. I am not aware of any genuine interest.
"You have an uphill fight, I would suggest gathering your supporters and knocking on doors and talking to people."
I saw some folks walking around a couple weeks ago. If I was asked I would do it, but I talk so much I probably wouldn't make it past two houses before nightfall came.
Glad you liked the letter, thanks
I thought of a #3 addressing, " Most people would have very happy with doubling the size and adding on in the future is required."
We have a loan ready with a REALLY low interest rate. Why not take advantage of this bang for the buck instead of doing this when it is "required" in the future (and it will be) and paying a higher interest rate and higher costs in material? Deferring it will make it cost more and as I mentioned in the previous comment, we may only be addressing a reduction in the tax of only a few bucks.
Also, this plan is not build ready…which is something I also addressed in the previous comment.
I said this wrong…"Is it worth paying more and getting less building…"
I meant to phrase it "Is it worth paying less and getting much less building…"
"Myth #8. There is no reason to build on South Newton when everything is building north.
South Newton and the surrounding area has seen a lot of development in recent years with the construction of the Riverwalk, Los Bravos, Spirit of Jasper train depot, Azura, and the Jasper City Mill.
While development is not happening over night, it is happening and the library would be a beautiful asset there."
Local development in one small area doesn't debunk the myth. Do you really see the size of the city growing Southward with it being surrounded by floodplain. The city is growing Northward and Westward. New things moving into that one localized area is not city size growth as far as size goes.The South Newton Street site is going to get further and further away from the geographical center of town as the city grows, there is no denying that.
"Myth #10. It would be cheaper to build at the current location.
Rebuilding at the current location will require the purchase of several surrounding properties and the possible permanent closing of a portion of one street. It would also require books to be relocated and a temporary library leased. It was concluded that construction at the current site would cost between $500,000 – $1M dollars more than at South Newton."
As said previously, the South Newton Street site is going to be further and further away from the geographical center of town as the city grows in size. In the long run that means a satellite library will need to be built costing taxpayers even more money. Also it has been said that the South Newton site will cost less because the cost of demolition is not figured into the price. Well look at it this way, if the city tears it down, were is the money coming from? Answer, TAX DOLLARS!!!! Oh my, so does that mean that citizens will have to still pay extra tax money to demolish the old library. But all you want people to see is that the library is cheaper to build because that's not in the library cost but it's still a taxpayer cost. No matter what is done with the old library, more than likely it will be a bill to the taxpayer.
Does Jasper need a new bigger library? YES
At the proposed location? No
—"In the long run that means a satellite library will need to be built costing taxpayers even more money. "
Not even likely. Larger cities with multiple Libraries are much farther apart than one end of Jasper to the other with much much larger populations in between. I find it highly unlikely a satellite library would ever be considered.
If the city is growing north and west then where are we to propose a library be built, either location excludes the other using that argument.
Personally, I am of the opinion the direction of city growth is not of much importance because Jasper, being less than 10sq.mi., is not big enough that any general area for a new library to be really bad unless it is on an edge of town. As the proposed location is only 2/10 of a mile farther from downtown than the current location, I find the "not the center of town" argument moot unless the person also finds the current location undesirable due to it not being the "center of town."
—"No matter what is done with the old library, more than likely it will be a bill to the taxpayer."
What is done with the old library will be up to Jasper and there are options that do not involve the city eating the cost of demolition.
To say that the cost of demolition should be seen as part of the real cost of the new library is rather short sighted, but I will concede that it is entirely likely that Jasper eventually pays for the building's demolition and if so at least a later demolition need not include the cost of a temporary library during construction.
Be sure to Vote.
If you look at the layout of Jasper as far as it's residential areas go and not the city as a whole. The proposed library is at the edge of town. There will not likely to be any residential growth South of Division Rd. and West of South Newton Street.