Library Decision Tonight

The future of the library expansion project will be on the warrant at tonight's Town  Meeting, to be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Grafton High School auditorium.

The majority of the 52 articles appear to be housekeeping in nature but the library issue has been the subject of ongoing discussions.

The Board of Library Trustees are requesting that voters approve a conceptual design for the library. No dollar amount is requested yet.

Voters will also decide whether to rescind a previously approved purchase of property adjacent to the library. If this vote is approved and the land purchase is rescinded, the library expansion will be off the table, at least in its current form.

Selectmen refused a request from the library Board of Trustees to remove the article rescinding the property purchase. Selectmen said no deal had been finalized for the property since Town Meeting set aside $600,000 in 2006 to buy the land and it is time for the issue to come before voters again.

Supporters of the library expansion say the property negotiations remain ongoing and the time to move forward is now.

The Finance Committee recommends that voters approve the design. This does not commit the town to undertaking the project, they said. 

The Finance Committee opposes rescinding the vote on the property, since it is not known how negotiations, which are being conducted in executive session, might be progressing.

The total library project cost is estimated at $11 million, with a requested state grant of $5 million to defray the project. 

The total cost to the town is $6 million (possibly less, depending on fund-raising.)
The estimated average tax impact is $74 per year.

Detractors of the project have questioned whether the future high school library could also be used by the town. Questions have also been raised about the size of the expansion, which would more than quadruple the current square footage.