Presentation Tonight on Library Expansion Project

Members of the Wyckoff Library Board of Trustees and staff will present plans for the expansion of the facility at tonight's work session of the Township Committee.

Committeeman Kevin Rooney has said he expects trustees, staff and project architect Todd Harvey to be present to answer questions and give testimony on the long-awaited project, which would add approximately 5,000 square feet to the library, which hasn't been significantly updated since 1972.

Library Director Judy Schmitt said Harvey, of BH&A Architects, will present a PowerPoint presentation on expansion plans.

The meeting will convene at 7:30 p.m. in the Municipal Courtroom, and residents will have the opportunity to offer comments or pose questions after the presentation is held.

"It's an effort at transparency," Rooney said last week.

"It's just to go over where we're coming from and where we're hoping to go," Schmitt said today.

The semi-autonomous library board received zoning approvals in the fall for the project, which has been described as necessary to accommodate overflowing books and services. The township-owned building would see the construction of a new children's room on the ground floor and a new meeting room in the basement, with the existing children's room to house the library's periodicals once the new space is constructed. Approved plans also included an elevator and new sprinkler system, Harvey has said.

Schmitt has said the library owns thousands of books that can't be shelved for lack of space in a facility that enjoyed record-high circulation last year.

The library is not asking the township for additional funds to finance the construction. Rather, the expansion, budgeted at roughly $4 million, would come from approximately 18 years worth of library surplus, although a final cost won't be known until the bid is awarded.

The library board had planned to have already sent the project out to bid, with a projected spring start date. However, the process of selecting a suitable and responsible firm has not yet opened, with Schmitt saying that the township first has to sign off on the project's building plan, which also would need approvals from the state. Schmitt hopes bidding will open "hopefully soon."

Construction could last up to 16 months, although the library board has discussed the possibility of temporarily relocating during the process. Schmitt said a decision has not been made, although such a move has several advantages and drawbacks. If the library moves for a period of time, it would save time and money on construction, as the selected firm would not need to work in piecemeal fashion while the library serves customers. However, moving would mean spending money to rent space elsewhere in the township while limiting the library's ability to offer its full range of services due to a relative lack of space.

The library Board of Trustees will meet for its regularly scheduled meeting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the library.