Instead, Moore explained, talking things out will achieve a better result. “Whether it’s right. Whether it’s wrong, whether the project is perfect or not perfect, whether it’s going through the process, it needs negotiation.”
At the end of the meeting, Sam Magarelli, husband of councilwoman and library liaison Cathy Magarelli, echoed a call for civility. “I agree that we need to tone down the way we’re speaking to each other. We need to be more civil if we’re going to get through this problem,” he said. Sam Magarelli noted the current library has infrastructure issues that are being “nursed along with a great deal of work” and something could be done to meet space needs while using the existing building. “We just need to step back and I think the community needs to understand, what’s the whole story here. Let’s look at the whole plant and say OK, this is what we have available in resources…” He noted the community is not on the same page as the board and it is exacerbating the issue.
Town councilwoman Cathy Magarelli assured those in attendance that the town board will be carefully reviewing the Memorandum of Understanding amid recent concerns. The library board will update the Town Board on the annex project at its May 13 meeting and further discussion will follow. Because of the heightened public interest, the meeting will be at the community center on Rock City Road instead of the town offices on Comeau Drive. The meeting starts at 7 p.m.
Bait and switch?
Former Planning Board Chairman and vocal opponent John Ludwig took issue with Auchincloss’ recent comments that since private funds will be raised, the annex is a gift to the community.
“If a flatbed truck pulled into my driveway and said ‘I’ve got a baby barn for you, no charge. Where should I put it,’ I would reserve the right to say ‘thank you, but no,’” Ludwig said. “The people of Woodstock are the owners of this library and we reserve the right to say thank you for the gift of this annex, but we have different ideas for our property.”
Resident Jerry Washington took strong issue with the architect’s assertions that the annex design will resemble anything about the current library building and thinks such statements are misleading. “I think of a bait and switch. Either you got baited and they switched or they switched and you got baited,” he said. “They did not provide you with what they said they were going to provide and what you agreed to when you signed up with them.”
Amid the detractors, there were some supporters of the annex, like parent Cory Smith who enjoys the children’s programs the library has to offer. “I feel like the annex is a gift to this community should it be manifested,” Smith said. “As a mom, I’m here often with my child.”
Smith disagreed with comments that the annex architecture is not in keeping with the rest of the town but rather that “something new and exciting might bring more life to the town.” Further, she noted the laundromat was not a green building and not a green business and this would be an improvement.
Resident and SUNY New Paltz adjunct professor Joan Schuman questioned whether much thought was put into the resources to be offered in the annex building. “Why is the library being expanded as a meeting center,” she asked. “Who said that is the purpose of our library or the needs of our community? We have several meeting centers available to us.” Schuman noted the planned 3D printing facility requires technicians, a high amount of maintenance and major funding and wondered if such concerns were considered. She also pointed out that such a facility already exists at New Paltz.
“I love the library. I grew up here,” Peter Koch told the board. “I also love Woodstock as a small town. We’ve got something very special. A small town.”
Koch said his vision for Woodstock is to forever remain a small town. “One does this by recycling and repairing existing buildings and by using cleverness and imagination to make small spaces do. Build anew only when the need has been fully recognized by all the various boards and commissions and then follow the rules closely.”
Like many others, Koch strongly objects to the bypassing of normal permitting procedures. “It is insulting to a lot of Woodstockers who give freely of their time to help protect our town and its environment,” he said. “I suggest replacing the laundromat building with a pleasant pocket park by the creek and allowing the much needed parking places to remain.” Koch suggested using money saved by scrapping the annex project to judiciously remodel the existing library.
Former town supervisor and Planning Board member Jeff Moran said while he believes the board has the authority to bypass approvals, it doesn’t mean it should. He said a lot of time and attention was devoted to tweaking and crafting the current zoning law and it is meant to protect Woodstock residents.
“Our zoning law enshrines our values, enshrines our standards,” Moran said. “When you say to the town you’re exempting yourself from all the laws, especially our zoning laws, what that says to us is that you hold our values and our standards in utter contempt. I know you don’t mean that, but that’s how it comes across.”
In light of an exponential increase in public attendance, the board adopted a plan for recording comments into the official minutes of meetings.
Blah, blah, blah! Does Woodstock plan to compete with The New York Public Library with this expensive and arrogant project? What is the motivation to create an architectural monument that will not do much more than the current building for the townspeople who occasionally drop into the Library. This grandiose project seems to have emanated from the grandiosity of the Library Board and it’s deaf President who parades as a protector of the environment and plops down this expensive monstrosity next to the stream. Tax the Library Board alone for this, get them to cover all costs in perpetuity.
I feel this annex will turn into an empty building blocking access to the steam. Who is going to use this space?. An annex to a library usually means more books on the shelves, available to pick up, read the first paragraph and perhaps borrow. Computer time at the library? Few users. Laptops are the current gateway to the internet. I worked at the library book sale and there is room for expansion behind the library.
As has been pointed out there are many spaces in the town for meeting. Such as the Comeau property and the community center on Rock city road where there is ample space to discuss building a library annex in order to have space for public meetings.
To make sure the annex is further utilized, perhaps a laundromat could be included.