By Liz McBreen
Site and building plans for a new structure on Hempstead Avenue and Locust Avenue have been drawn up by architects at Gibbons, Heidtmann & Salvador and a construction team at Sullivan & Nickel, the same company that recently completed work on several buildings in the Franklin Square School District.
The current West Hempstead library, on Chestnut Street, shares a home with the school district's Kindergarten Center. The facility, the board says, is undersized and outdated. Designed to hold a maximum of 50,000 books, it currently holds over 90,000.
On Feb. 20, Bill Sullivan, one of the construction managers for the project, unveiled the floor and site plans for the building. The new library would have more bookshelves, allowing the staff to expand its collection, as well as several computers with Internet access and more space for reading and study.
Ralph Reissman, president of the Library Board of Trustees, discussed the need for a new library in West Hempstead. "We are eager for a new library because our current building is just too small and antiquated," he said. "It is a scandal that this is the only resource that children in this community have."
Reissman also focused on the need for a larger community room. The space currently being used for meetings and programs only accommodates about 35 people. "The library should be a community center," he said. "We have been forced to turn groups away in the past because of a shortage of space." The community room of the new library would be equipped with a separate entrance, which would allow meetings to run past closing time without keeping the staff after hours.
The library's original lease ran out in 1990, according to library director Regina Mascia, and it was never officially renewed. Since then, the library has been paying monthly rent to the West Hempstead School District for the use of the building. With the need for more space and a more updated facility in mind, the board began speaking to architects.
The 25,000-square-foot project on Locust Avenue would double the usable space available to the library. The current lot measures about 8,000 square feet. The land is located in the center of the town, unlike the site first proposed, on Woodfield Road, in the spring of 2001. Many of the residents who voted against the bond that June said they did so because they didn't feel the site was suitable for the library, mainly due to its proximity to the much-maligned Courtesy Hotel.
The cost of the land, the demolition of the existing structures, building and furnishing the new library would be included in the $9,975,000 bond. In what library officials are calling a landmark agreement, the Town of Hempstead has offered to re-pave, re-stripe and maintain the 158-space parking lot, cutting down on the library's annual maintenance costs. No street parking would be necessary, even when large groups met in the community room, according to Sullivan. The building would also be fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
According to Sullivan, there would be no need to increase the staff at the library despite its larger size. There are new features included in the plan that would allow patrons to check out their own books, for example. All books being moved into the new library would be fitted with small discs. Books placed in a pile over a sensor by a patron would be automatically checked out. Another high-tech feature available to the staff would be a sensor wand that detects when a book is out of order on a shelf.
In order to make the building as energy-efficient as possible, the Long Island Power Authority would be involved in installing lights that would dim and brighten according to how much natural light is available. LIPA would also install low-cost heating and air-conditioning units when the building was complete.
Greg Yuknek, president of the West Hempstead Chamber of Commerce, was present to review the plans for the new library. He was concerned about whether the project would be complete on time and on budget. Sullivan gave his word that the library would be a success. "We have never missed a budget, and we feel very confident that we will make these numbers," he said. When Sullivan & Nickel completed renovations on school buildings in Franklin Square, they had $60,000 of the bond left over despite some minor operational delays.
If the bond is passed in May, the architect will draw up the final plans and submit them to state officials for approval. According to Sullivan, construction could begin roughly a year after the vote.
Residents are urged to visit or call the library for information about the bond. The library board is currently setting up a schedule of public meetings, and welcomes input from the public. A copy of the Draft Environmental Impact Study regarding the site in now available for viewing at the library reference desk as well as the district's administration office. Mascia says the public comment period will end on March 24 and all comments can be left at the library or mailed to 252 Chestnut Street.
