By:Andrew Coen
Lawrence school board member Frank Parise suggested at the Tuesday, Aug. 10 school board meeting that the board consider allowing the library to use the adjacent parking lot of the now-vacant Number One School. It will help provide a safer entrance and exit for library patrons while a decision on what to do with the Number One School property is determined.
The school's parking lot was made available recently after the board decided to close the school and place the students and staff in the Number Six School in Woodmere as part of a consolidation plan to save the district money and make better use of classroom space. The board is still considering leasing options for the school building to generate more revenue for the district. A subcommittee of trustees, comprising Rose Harris, Dr. Asher Mansdorf and Pamela Greenbaum, has been set up to study the options.
Parise pointed out at the meeting, held at Lawrence Middle School, that two years ago Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg (D-Long Beach) gave District 15 about $200,000, of which $50,000 was to be earmarked for the library driveway and parking lot. Now that money could be used for its intended purpose since the school has been closed.
"I would like to honor that commitment that we made to [Assemblyman Weisenberg]," said Parise. "The school is empty now, the parking field is just sitting there, so I would like to see us do something with the [driveway] and possibly the parking."
Lawrence Superintendent Dr. John Fitzsimons said he also supports letting the library use the Number One School parking lot for the short-term.
"While a decision is made on the library, we should at least let them use the parking lot at the Number One School," said Fitzsimons.
Parise said during the meeting that $50,000 should cover the cost of taking care of the driveway and parking problem.
"We're not prepared to vote on a long-term plan this evening, but I think we can do something meaningful to eliminate that danger that we have there, and $50,000 should cover that," he said at the Aug. 10 meeting.
"I think for the best interest of safety and the survival of the library it is good to give them a safe driveway and space for parking," said Assemblyman Weisenberg in a phone interview. "Right now it's an accident waiting to happen."
Library officials said they are drafting a letter explaining their needs for the short-term, which was suggested by school board vice president Rose Harris during the meeting.
"We welcome parking adjacent to the library," said library director Arleen Reo. "If we can direct some of our patrons to that area for the short-term, it is only positive for the community."
"Whatever [the board] can do is greatly appreciated," said new library board president Joseph Fuller. "It's a good short-term solution."
According to Reo, the school board has in the past offered use of the Number One School parking lot when the school was closed during certain days. "The fact that the school board is considering our needs is wonderful," she said.
During the Aug. 10 meeting, Woodmere resident Robert Douglas expressed support for the library getting land from the Number One School property to expand the building, in addition to getting more parking and a new driveway. "I think it would be useful to consider providing sufficient space so that the library can not only have the needs of egress but also put an addition onto that building because the size of the building is inadequate and we seem to have excess space there," said Douglas.
Since the Number One School was closed, library officials as well as the Lawrence Association's Library Committee have aggressively let the school board know that they would like to see 100 feet of the Number One School property be set aside for library expansion.
The Lawrence Association also suggested using the Number One School building to create a new library and cultural center and lease the current library building for the school district, but backed off the idea because the costs could be prohibitive.
A Community Action Committee of the Peninsula Public Library has also been established to assist the library in obtaining more space.
