The two articles on the front page of the March 18, Renton Reporter were diametrically opposed. In one Mayor Law speaks to the current recession as the worst ever and how tight the budget is. And in the next he and others excitedly say there is a great need to replace a perfectly serviceable landmark library costing millions. What’s wrong with these two articles?
Number one: We don’t need a new downtown library. The one we have is quite sound and there is plenty of room for expansion within the building itself. It is not so old as to need replacing.
Number two: The current library is about 25,000 square feet in size as opposed to the 15,000-square-foot proposed library. Not a good trade out.
Number three: Updating the wiring, ventilation, removing some walls for more open space, etc., would bring the current sizeable building up to the state of the art which is so highly touted. And this would certainly be more a practical use of funds, especially during a depression.
Number four: I’m not certain where these millions of dollars for a new library would be coming from, but it seems that a redistribution of these dollars for bringing the current library up to “state-of-the-art” and other budgetary needs would be far more practical.
Number five: Considering that we are in a recession/depression, wouldn’t it make more sense to slow down this library process until our economy improves? If KCLS is so flush with property tax money so as to bankroll money to Renton for a new downtown library building, then KCLS should be flush enough to underwrite the renovation of the current building.
Number six: Our library is serving the community quite nicely, yet the hue and cry of KCLS and our City Council to throw out our lovely library with the rhetorical dirty bath water. The current building will have to be brought up to date, by the city, when preparing for a new tenant so do it for the current tenant.
Number seven: The KCLS administration keeps saying that they “promised Renton a new library.” Renton voters didn’t ask for a new library and in fact almost defeated annexing with KCLS and missed by 46 votes. I feel certain that many residents are against vacating the current building.
Number eight: The statement about the number of parking spaces available for a downtown library was pathetic. Of course the city wants more use of the parking garage which would require walking across the transportation area which has proven to be unsafe place to be walking through, especially at night.
Number nine: I live near downtown and I can tell you that moving the library further downtown is not the answer for improving the face of downtown.
Number ten: The City/KCLS really do need to consider people they supposedly serve and they are not.
Phyllis Forister
Renton
