'Thrilled.' With $100K state grant, Falmouth plans for a new branch library
With a $100,000 state grant in pocket, Falmouth is set to begin the planning and design for a new East Falmouth Library branch.
That process will be guided by an advisory committee which the Select Board agreed to form after the library was awarded the grant through the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program. That funding will augment $150,000 already set aside by the 2024 town meeting vote, marking the start of the project to replace the current library at 310 East Falmouth Highway with a new building.
Falmouth Library Director Brian Stokes said an application for the state funding was submitted last May, and the award was announced a few weeks ago.
"We were thrilled when we were notified that we got it," he said.
Stokes said the award was competitive. Falmouth was one of 15 out of 22 municipalities to get one.
The town previously identified both the current site and the Emerald House property at 67 Davisville Road next to East Falmouth Elementary as potential locations for a new building. The favored option, Stokes said, is "to (demolish) the current library and build new in its place."
The goal is to complete the planning and design phase by the end of 2025, as required by the state library commission.
Besides the East Falmouth branch, the Falmouth Public Library has a main library at 300 Main St. and a North branch at 6 Chester St. in North Falmouth.
The existing East Falmouth branch has numerous problems, including a lack of space and a problematic, aged HVAC system, Stokes said
"There are a lot of expenses there just to fix what needs to be fixed," he said. The building does not comply with the standards of the Americans With Disabilities Act and isn't structurally set up to allow for alterations to make it compliant, he said.
"The building itself was originally constructed in the '60s as a residential home. It was sold to the town and opened as a public library branch in the early '70s and has been operating as a library since then," Stokes said. "As such, it was never officially thought of, or constructed, as a public library. There's just a number of things about it that are not ideal for a public library."
A building assessment in November 2023 found that just taking care of the immediate problems would cost about $2.4 million, and would do little to make up for the lack of meeting rooms and usable space for the collection and library programs.
"When we did a survey of East Falmouth branch users, one of the most common requests we got was some sort of meeting space in the library," Stokes said.
The advisory committee will play a key role, including issuing requests for proposals for an owner's project manager and architect, and making recommendations to the Library Board of Trustees and Select Board on the building's design and where to build.
Members will be appointed by the Select Board, which is seeking people who have expertise in areas such as building design, construction, civil engineering, or library services. At least one member of the Library Board of Trustees will serve on the committee.
The committee will also solicit opinions from residents. The group will also submit recommendations to the town manager regarding owner's project manager and architect selection and to the Library Board of Trustees and Select Board regarding site selection and design.
The deadline to submit applications to be considered for appointment to the advisory committee is Friday, March 14.
Interested residents should visit the town website at https://www.falmouthma.gov/, click on "Boards and Committees," then "Committee Vacancies," and then the committee application link.
Print and fill out the application and then either mail it to the Select Board, Falmouth Town Hall, 59 Town Hall Square, Falmouth, MA 02540, or email it to townmanager@falmouthma.gov.
Heather McCarron writes about climate change, environment, energy, science and the natural world, in addition to news and features in Barnstable and Brewster. Reach her at hmccarron@capecodonline.com
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Falmouth begins journey toward a new east branch library
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