By Andrew Coen
A 40-years-plus struggle by library officials to obtain a safer exit appeared to be over when the school board granted an easement at its March 22 meeting that would have allowed for a separate, 12-foot-wide driveway to be used as an exit on the west side of the building. The current driveway, on the east side of the building, serves as both an entrance and exit, which creates the potential for serious accidents, library officials said.
But negotiations over the school land came to a standstill once again last week, after library officials rejected the school board's offer, claiming the agreement would not provide enough property for a safe driveway, while reducing parking in the library's lot.
The school board approved the easement 5-1, with Trustee Anthony Licatesi abstaining. Vice President Rose Harris was absent. The board's attorneys said that an easement was necessary to assure that the library would continue to have a safe driveway no matter who ends up purchasing the Number One School property. (The school was closed last June as part of a consolidation plan to save the district money, and school officials have put the property up for sale or lease.)
The approved easement would allow the library to build a 12-foot-wide exit driveway that stretches to the end of the library building, but would eliminate at least two parking spaces. Library officials said they want the easement to provide driveway space for the length of the property, so they don't have to give up parking, while providing a safe exit for cars.
During the meeting, library board President Joseph Fuller lashed out after the easement was approved, saying that there had been an understanding with the school board's library committee that the driveway would extend to the end of the property. "We do not accept anything less than that," Fuller said angrily.
In a tersely worded letter to Lawrence school board President Kathy Raquet, library board Vice President Michael Fried wrote, "Let's face it, the school board has shown its true colors. The school board does not like the library. The school board will do anything it can to prevent any sort of growth by the library. The school board will continue to treat the library in the same despicable manner it has treated the library for the past 40 years. This most recent egregious behavior by the school board will not be tolerated."
For years, patrons entering the driveway of the library, at 280 Central Ave. in Lawrence, have encountered exiting cars, forcing the entering drivers to back up onto the busy street. "We would like to give them a safe way [for cars] to exit forever," school board Trustee Pam Greenbaum said.
Library officials contend, however, that a driveway that extends only to the end of the building would compromise safety by making it difficult for cars to maneuver around those entering the facility, since space is very tight. "The logistics don't work," said Joan Lepelstat, the library's assistant director, who is retiring to run for the library's Board of Trustees in May. "It would create as many problems as it would solve in terms of safety."
Library officials still have a sketch from 1974 that details what they had hoped for in 2005: a driveway that stretches the length of the property, allowing cars to exit safely without eliminating any parking spots.
According to Raquet, the easement provided the library with the necessary land to construct a safe and adequate driveway. The measurements were determined in a recent survey by Dennis Verriello, District 15's director of facilities. Jake Feldman, the school board's attorney, said the amount of land turned over in the easement could always be expanded if necessary.
Raquet said that plans for the driveway would allow the library to make up for the two parking spots it would lose by adding spaces next to where the new driveway would be built. Fuller, however, claims that adding parking there would create an unsafe situation, so it is not an option.
Raquet said that the library board was given drawings of what the driveway would look like under the easement, but Fuller claimed that the board never saw any such plans, and that library officials had only agreed to a driveway extending to the end of the property.
"They were well aware of this drawing," said Raquet. "We granted them their wish, and now their wishes have changed."
"Nobody showed us any drawing at all," Fuller countered. "We were talking about a 12-foot [-wide driveway] all the way to the back [of the property]."
Trustee Dr. Asher Mansdorf, who serves on the school board's library committee, suggested during the meeting that the school board hold off on the easement so library officials could convey more of what they want for the driveway. During the discussion, Mansdorf sketched on a chalkboard what the driveway would look like if it extended just to the end of the building or to the end of the property.
During the meeting, Raquet suggested that Verriello set up a meeting with library officials to discuss his survey, but Fuller declined, saying there was nothing further to discuss, and that they would only agree to the planned driveway extending to the end of the property.
Besides the years of pressing for a safe driveway exit, the library has more recently lobbied to expand its current facility by 100 feet, onto the Number One School property. An appraisal of the school property was recently completed, but the school board, on the advice of its attorneys, has not revealed how much it is worth. District officials have revealed that the 3.79-acre parcel is worth more than originally believed.
Lepelstat said that since the property is expected to bring in more revenue for the district than initially expected, the district should be able to give enough of it to the library to allow for expansion. "Surely [the school board] can invest a portion of the enormous amount of money they expect to realize with the library," said Lepelstat. "It is indeed a worthy educational investment to give the land to the library."
Past attempts by library officials to acquire more land for a safe driveway and parking have failed. The school board rejected two plans for increased parking for the library in October 2002, citing a state Department of Education law that would not allow the loss of playground space. An idea to convert most of the Number Five School in Cedarhurst into a new library as part of an elementary school consolidation plan was abandoned in 2002, five years after a referendum to build a new facility on Rockaway Turnpike in Cedarhurst was rejected by voters.
Comments about this story? ACoen@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
