Library Supporters Make their Case

Architects presented plans for a proposed new at a meeting last night at the .

Voters at the Oct. 17 Town Meeting will be asked whether to approve spending $6.6 million to expand the current library, which supporters say has become cramped and lacks the space needed to offer programs that the town needs.

The expanded building would have 29,000 square feet of space to accommodate public meeting space, expanded collections, a larger children’s room, dedicated space for teens and more programs for all ages.

Architect Philip O’Brien, a principal with the architectural firm of Johnson Roberts Associates Inc., said the expansion would maintain a look similar in style and color to the original 1927 building, “so it looks like it belongs there,’’ he said. “We want to be respectful of the original architecture’’ so it will fit with the look of the Common, he said.

Supporters said the time is right for the library, because the state has awarded a grant of $5 million, which will cover nearly half the project cost.

The town has outgrown the current library, supporters said.

Children’s librarian Amanda Diurba said she has been forced to turn children away from programs because of lack of space. When she has moved programs to the Common, as many as 250 children have attended, she said.

“Grafton isn’t static, it isn’t going to stop growing,’’ she said.

And with an expanded library, she said, more people will participate in programs. “It’s a Field of Dreams,’’ she said, referring to the popular movie. “If you build it, they will come.’’

Others expressed concerns about the cost of the library, especially while the town is paying for other significant capital projects, including the police station, fire station and new Grafton High School.

“It’s going to be a tough sell,’’ one resident said. “We can’t bear another huge tax increase.’’

The project would add $79 a year to the average tax bill. Henry Poler of the Library Board of Trustees said that, as the years go on, the debt from other projects will be retired, lessening the tax burden.

He also noted that, with interest rates low and construction costs down, “in a lot of ways it’s a marvelous time to do it.’’

The current library is not handicapped accessible. If the project is turned down, work would still be needed on the building, at a minimum estimated cost of $200,000.

And that work would further diminish the amount of library space, Poler said.

If voters turn the project, the library faces “a dark future,’’ he said.