Since I moved to Renton in early 2012, no issue has dominated the landscape like that of the Cedar River Library.

I was not working for the Renton Reporter at that time and had no idea that within 18 months I would be editor of the paper (my wife, then-fiancee, and I were looking for a nice place to live with some urban amenities, close to the highways and didn’t make our commutes impossible; Renton was by far the best choice), but I, of course, read about the controversy and remember multiple groups knocking on my door that summer to discuss the upcoming location vote.

I will be honest with you, I did not vote on the matter that August. I did not fully understand the issue – only the emotion on either side – and decided to simply stay out of the fray.

What had happened was that the people had voted to turn control of the Renton Library over to the King County Library System and promised to build two replacement libraries in the process. Following that vote, the administration, the City Council and KCLS all began work on building a new building.

As work progressed and word got out that the new library would be built downtown near the Piazza, voters who may not have understood exactly what they were approving became upset that their nearly one-of-a-kind building over the Cedar River would no longer be the library.

The City Council responded to the outcry and agreed to place the issue on the ballot that August.

The election was a landslide (76 percent), and a relatively unsurprising one in retrospect: The people wanted their iconic library over the river to remain an iconic library over the river. Period.

It would cost a bit more than originally planned, but it simply did not matter. Renton’s library straddled the river and the people wanted it to stay that way. Thanks to them – the Save the Cedar River Library group in particular – it did.

And we, as a city, owe those outspoken and dedicated people a debt of gratitude.

I have remained silent on the specifics of the votes and tried to stay off-record on the opinion questions, but now that all is said and done, let’s go on record saying THANK YOU to the people who would not let the issue go in 2012.

Not only did we get the brand, new 21st century library we so badly needed, but we were able to keep it right where it should be: in an iconic, one-of-a-kind location that we’d never get approval to build on these days.

This library is a gift from those groups to people like me, my wife, our future children and everyone who moves to this city in the future.

There was a second fight, however, following the August 2012 location vote. A group of citizens taking up a similar moniker made it their mission to try and save the original building, modern necessities and conveniences be darned.

Those people, I have to say, were 100 percent wrong. The original building was a barn. It was ugly. It was boring. It was bland. It was inefficient and did not have the power and HVAC necessary for the needs of modern library patrons.

And did I mention it was ugly? (Yes, that’s an opinion, but I live here too and my opinion is as valid as anyone’s.)

The new building is gorgeous, despite what you may have read in our letters section. Though a slightly smaller footprint than the original building, the inside feels more open due to a different floor plan, higher ceilings and less behind-the-scenes equipment and offices. There are also fewer shelves and books housed in the building than in the previous library, a valid criticism of the new building, but access to the larger KCLS system means they are probably available, just not immediately.

Yes, the ceiling has exposed wiring and pipes, but I don’t mind. In fact, to me, it has a much more modern sensibility. I like the exposed aesthetic and seeing some of the industrial bits – as long as they are out of the way, of course.

And the windows! Oh, the windows!

Along the both of the sides that face the river, the new building has floor-to-ceiling glass windows that let in a tremendous amount of natural light as well as provide amazing view of both the river below and the overall cool setting and location of the library.

I know people were upset to see the old building go, but there is not a doubt in my mind it was the right thing, especially after attending the opening on Saturday and seeing all of the people – especially the kids – press themselves up against the new windows to enjoy the view.

This really is the best of both worlds: We got a brand, new beautiful library (which we desperately needed) and yet managed to keep it in the location that made it iconic.

That’s a win-win. So Kudos to those who fought to keep the library where it is and kudos to the engineers and designers who brought us this modern beauty.

And judging by the smiles I saw on the kids on Saturday, Renton’s future thanks you as well.