Council agrees on library revamp

Waynesboro City Council members heard two proposals for the city library renovation and were unanimous in opinion as to which architectural procedure they preferred during a work session Wednesday.

The council directed BCWH Architects of Richmond to proceed under a two-phase plan with a first-phase cost of $1.6 million. In that phase, all four Waynesboro Public Library renovation goals would be met, said Chuck Wray of BCWH.

The council spoke less favorably of another plan Wray suggested that would have a cheaper first phase while meeting only two goals.

After the library assessed its needs in 2006, city voters backed a $1.2 million expansion referendum the next year.

After consulting with architects, the project became a renovation with goals to expand space for children, comply with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, enlarge genealogy space, revamp the front desk and add a stairwell connecting the library’s two floors.

A second, longer-term phase would bring the total project cost to $2.5 million.

Vice Mayor Frank Lucente said connecting the library’s floors is a top priority, and should not be withheld until a second phase. For that reason, Lucente supported the $1.6 million first-phase plan.

Councilwomen Lorie Smith and Nancy Dowdy strongly agreed with Lucente, raising surprised laughter in council chambers known for disputes among them.

Talking about the gap between the $1.2 million referendum and $1.6 million price tag, Lucente said some of the cost is contingency money that contractors may not need and that low construction bids are possible.

“Everything’s lower right now,” Lucente said of costs.

After receiving bids, additional funding might be raised by the library’s foundation, said Zahir Mahmoud, the library’s executive director.

Construction could begin in early 2010.

Wray cautioned that the 10 percent contingency might be necessary, in part because of the lack of good blueprints and mechanical systems drawings for the existing library.

Also Wednesday, Wray for the first time told the council that Mohawk Industries, a company located in the city, has agreed to donate carpet to the children’s area of the renovated library and sell additional carpeting at “bare bones cost.”

At the council’s request, BCWH also revisited possible exterior changes to library property. Suggestions included closing Fourteenth Street in front of the library and sculpting the area as a patron walkway and adding a drive-up book drop.

Smith and Dowdy emphasized the first phase must take priority. The second phase, for which money has not been approved, should not be forgotten, they said.

The Waynesboro library project is proceeding alongside a similar renovation in Augusta County, where the Board of Supervisors voted to proceed with $1.6 million in renovations.