Newington Library Project Building Committee Formed
NEWINGTON - A Project Building Committee has been established to guide the renovation and expansion of the town’s library, but not all of its members have been appointed yet.

       Library Board of Trustees members Maureen Lyons and LeeAnn Manke will serve on the committee, along with two Town Councilors and three members of the public. Democratic Councilor James Marocchini has been appointed, and the remaining members will likely be made official at the Council’s next meeting.

       They’ll have some help from a $100,000 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) transfer. The funds came from the Garfield Street realignment account and will be used to hire a project architect, among other professional staff for the planning phases.

       The matter was first discussed at the Town Council’s April 28 meeting, with the Committee officially being formed on May 12. The seven-member body includes two members of the Library Board of Trustees, three members of the public and two Councilors--one from each party.

       â€"I think everybody appointed to this will be very well-balanced and do what’s right for the community,” said Newington Mayor Stephen Woods.

       Woods also expressed the desire to see Library Board personnel appointed as voting members of the Committee.

       Republican Councilor David Nagel and Democratic Councilor James Marocchini both serve on the Town Hall Renovation Project Building Committee. It was suggested that they also sit on the Library Building Committee for communication purposes, but Nagel has not yet decided whether he will be a member.

       The drafting of a town hall renovation proposal is in the works and members of that committee have expressed the desire to collaborate with the Library Board of Trustees to share resources and shape the area that they share. Both have concerns regarding traffic congestion and parking, as well as the intent to establish a â€"campus” environment for the site.

       The library’s plans are to address space constraints in a variety of areas throughout the existing 26,000 square foot building. Anna Eddie of the Library Board of Trustees and Library Director Lisa Masten elaborated in a presentation given before the Council several months ago.

       Among the library’s space challenges is foot traffic around in its lobby--particularly around the circulation desk, Masten said.

       Then there’s the community room, which groups can reserve for meetings. That has a 60-person capacity that, too often, events exceed, she said.

       In the past it has prompted library staff to move programs to Town Hall, but the auditorium is currently offline because it is not up to the fire code, an issue that has been highlighted in the discussions regarding renovation of the building.

       Similar issues emerge in other parts of the building, such as the Children’s Programming Room. The library has three study rooms and a larger meeting space that are in high demand as well.

       Architectural firm Kaestle Boos performed a space needs analysis for the library in 2010. Its assessment was based on state library system standards, according to architect David King.

       Based on the 2010 assessment, the Library Board will want to add 24,800-square feet, King said.
MORE NEWINGTON NEWS  |  STORY BY MARK DIPAOLA  |  May 20 2015  |  COMMENTS?