A community meeting to discuss possible locations to build Seattle Public Library's new and expanded Montlake branch is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 20, at Montlake Elementary School, 2409 22nd Ave. E.
In 1998, Seattle voters approved nearly $2.6 million to construct a new 5,000-square-foot library. The existing facility, which has operated out of a converted retail store since 1944, is a tiny 1,574 square feet.
The meeting will include a presentation by capital program staff on currently identified sites for the new library, a discussion on the opportunities and challenges of each location, and suggestions on other sites. City Librarian Deborah L. Jacobs and Seattle Public Library Board Trustee Gilbert Anderson, who also is the board steward for the Montlake Library, will talk about the siting process and answer questions.
Members of the Montlake Community Club helped suggest and evaluate some of the sites under consideration.
"Finding parcels that accommodate the library's needs in a neighborhood as densely built as Montlake is challenging," said Sue Partridge, project manager for the Montlake branch.
The new library will require about 15,000 square feet to accommodate the building, parking, and landscaping. Potential sites also must meet the following Library siting criteria: They should be in areas frequently visited by all segments of a community, close to or on primary streets and transit routes, and highly visible to passers-by.
The new Montlake Library is part of the $196.4 million "Libraries for All" building program approved in 1998 by Seattle voters. The new branch is scheduled to open in 2004.
For complete information on "Libraries for All," and details on the Montlake branch project, visit the Library's Web site at www.spl.org. The Library encourages comments and suggestions by e-mail to capital.program@spl.org; by fax to (206) 386-4108; and by telephone to project manager Sue Partridge at (206) 615-1329 and branch manager Rae Charlton at (206) 684-4714.
See also Montlake Library
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Content modified: 23 May 2000
08/11/2006
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