Library referendum set for March 8

Albert Wisner library officials unveil new building plans Warwick — Voters in the Warwick Valley school district will decide March 8, 2007, whether to okay an $8.5 million referendum to build a state-of-the-art 20,000-square-foot library, something Albert Wisner Public Library officials say is essential in serving a growing community. “Libraries are about people and the resources they need to enrich their lives and the life of their community,” members of the library’s board of trustees said in a release. “Our library continues to be one of Warwick’s most visited places, and we appreciate the steadfast support we have received through the years as we continue our mission of providing the community’s connection to reading, life-long learning and personal enrichment.” For a home with an assessed value of $40,000, financing a new library would cost $59 per year or $5 per month. The current library tax rate is $2.01 per $1,000 of assessed valuation for Warwick residents and 48 cents per $1,000 for Chester residents who live within the Warwick school district. If this bond referendum passes, the tax rate would increase to $3.49 per $1,000 for Warwick residents and 83 cents for those in Chester. Library Director Rosemary Cooper pointed out that surrounding areas already pay that and more for their library services. For example, Florida library taxes are $3.38 per $1,000 while Greenwood Lake library taxes are $5.68 per $1,000. “This will not break the backs of the taxpayers,” said Cooper. “We have been woefully underfunded for a community our size. We are trying to serve our community with a facility that will not meet their needs.” Cooper noted that the surrounding communities are not paying a lot for their libraries. And for a new library offering the facilities this proposed one will, Warwick residents will pay the same as Florida and less than Greenwood Lake for a facility that meets the needs of the community. The board sites an increasing demand for library services as one of the reasons for wanting to build the new library. The current building, which was built in 1927 and added to in 1982, has less than 5,000 square feet on four floors. It is not handicap accessible, has three parking spaces and serves 22,000 residents. “Simply put, we can no longer meet the needs of the Warwick community with the space we have,” said the board in its release. “There is need for more space in all areas of the library; from space dedicated for children’s story times to space for group study as well as quiet reading.” The plans for the new building, which would be built on land donated by Leyland Alliance on McFarlane Drive across from Park Avenue School, include a children’s room of 4,000 square feet, a flexible multi-purpose room for programs, community meetings and study space, a Warwick Room to showcase the area’s historical heritage and 60 parking spaces. In addition, the design includes geothermal heating, which is environmentally friendly and will reduce heating costs, according to Cooper. Funding for the proposed new library won’t be totally from the taxpayers. The land donated by Leyland Alliance is valued at more than $300,000. The Friends of the Library and others in the community have donated close to $100,000. The Albert Wisner Public Library Foundation is looking to raise $500,000 by an intensive capital campaign. And the library recently applied for a New York State grant for over $100,000 for library construction. As Cooper said: “We will leave no stone unturned when it comes to financing.”