Hold
up or fold up? Library trustees mull moving library to Pennell
By Elizabeth Prata
Gray--In an old New England town such as Gray, there
often is a surplus of historic buildings. The question
the Library Trustees are pondering is whether to stay
with their original long-range plan and renovate and
expand the historic building they currently occupy
on Hancock Street, or move to Main Street and renovate
the 120 year-old Pennell building. Either way, their
concern is that proper management of the community's
historic assets should be balanced against the needs
of the library patrons.
The SAD 15 School Board of Directors had indicated
that they would be amenable to transferring the trust
that governs how the Pennell Building is to be used,
to the new tax exempt organization, the Gray Library
Association. Pennell Institute has long been under
the management of the School Department and the trust
states that the building is to be used for educational
purposes.
Board Chair Alan Rich opted to consider the Library
as an educational organization, though not exactly
a school, and then to inquire of the School District's
Attorney whether the transfer would be viable.
Meanwhile, the Trustees and Library Director, Priscilla
Payne met on Saturday to go over pros and cons of
each location, and to generate a list of questions.
The Library is on Hancock Street, a side street near
the Village Center but in a residential neighborhood.
The parking is limited and when the Library holds
a program, parking spills over to the street. Ms.
Payne is mindful of the fact that any expansion would
further exacerbate the parking situation and that
their current lot may not be large enough to hold
the recommended 40 spaces for their proposed 5200
square foot expansion.
The Trustees also asked about the setback requirements
at their current location and whether an expansion
would interfere with lot setbacks and septic setbacks.
They will make those inquiries of the proper authority
and reconvene to further discuss.
As for Pennell, Ms. Payne said that she would not
be interested in using the 1950's wings. The wings
on either side of the building are not original and
were used as classrooms in the former school. Ms.
Payne said that the walls are load-bearing and they
would likely have to stay, but that they make the
facility feel chopped up. "It is difficult to
supervise and to manage the collection when you have
many smaller rooms," Ms. Payne said. She also
said that the building's configuration is long and
narrow, lending it a warehouse sense. Her thought
was that above all, the experience of warmth and welcome
that the current building lends should be able to
be replicated in any new location.
Trustee Ray Clark said that he would also recommend
demolishing the wings. He stated that he had called
several demo companies but was having a hard time
getting them to call him back.
The Historical Society has been enjoying a free tenancy
in the second floor of the Pennell Institute for many
years, but that would likely come to an end if the
Library Association moves in. As Mr. Clark summed
up, "It is not our job to support the Historical
Society. It is nice to have them there but I don't
think we should feel any obligation to them. Maybe
they need somebody to come along and say, 'it's time
to find a space, guys.'" Peter Gerardo and John
Giles agreed.
The Trust also comes with a second building, the Anderson
Lab. Some discussion was held as to whether it would
make a permanent bookstore for the Friends of the
Library. However, theTrustees grappled with the reality
that it would take an enormous amount of money to
renovate the Lab. Mr. Gerardo said, "We don't
need it and we have enough to do without renovating
it." Mr. Clark agreed, "Yes, we don't need
it," he said.
The main question arose late in the meeting. If the
Library Association, as an independent tax-exempt
organization, took over the Pennell Institute and
grounds, would the Town still pay for heat and personnel
etc.? No one was sure and the Trustees concluded by
stating they would get a proper legal interpretation.
The Library is undergoing a fundraising campaign for
their expansion, sparked by a $100,000 donation that
required a match by June 1. Tuesday night, the Trustees
met to discuss the issue. After a lengthy meeting,
they decided to consult the Library Association's
Attorney to determine the proper wording of a motion
to formally indicate a next step to the SAD. They
reviewed their current location's footprint and determined
that there is not enough room on the current lot to
expand and meet projected needs. They will move forward
with exploring Pennell.
