Library waiting to hear from village

Nearly five years after plans were first conceived to construct a new Peninsula Public Library (PPL) facility adjacent to Zion Park in Lawrence, an offer on the property has been made but there has not been any indication of whether the Village of Lawrence Board of Trustees would support selling the land. The PPL recently made a $700,000 offer for the 9,000 square foot parcel adjacent to the Lawrence Long Island Rail Road and Zion Park land located behind the Lawrence train station, but has not received any indication from Lawrence village officials on whether they are receptive to the offer. When asked if the village was seriously considering the PPL's offer, Lawrence mayor Simon Felder said "we're still going over issues that need to be addressed," but would not give specifics.

The PPL is hoping to construct a 27,000-sq. ft. library facility in the municipal parking lot adjacent to Zion Park, which is owned by the village. The current library at 280 Central Ave., Lawrence, covers 13,500 square feet and is the smallest in the Nassau County Library System.

PPL Vice President Joan Lepelstat said the library formally made its $700,000 offer in late October and has been frustrated by the lack of response from the Lawrence village trustees. An appraisal done by the PPL about two years ago showed that the 9,000 square foot property was valued at $475,000, according to Lepelstat.

"I'm bewildered by the response or lack thereof for a rather substantial offer," said Lepelstat in a phone interview after she raised the issue to the Lawrence village trustees at their Jan. 14 meeting. "I have no idea why the delays, I have no idea what the obstacles are. None of this has been communicated to us."

During the Jan. 14 meeting Lawrence village attorney, A. Thomas Levin, advised the trustees to give an indication soon if they support the concept of a new PPL facility next to Zion Park so library officials can get a sense of how much money to invest in the project.

The PPL's proposed project for a new facility next to Zion Park has been publicly supported in the past by Mayor Felder and Deputy Mayor Martin Oliner but the remaining village trustees have not given a clear indication of where they stand. "I'm bewildered by how the village Board of Trustees, other than the mayor and deputy mayor, have not embraced this project with enthusiasm," said Lepelstat.

Since the PPL first announced its proposal to try and move to the vicinity of the Lawrence train station next to the North Lawrence and Inwood borders, the library has been successful in transferring ownership from the school district to the library board. By having full ownership the PPL is able to seek funding from state agencies for the potential project next to Zion Park. The PPL's architectural firm, Burton, Behrendt and Smith, has orchestrated library and educational construction projects across Long Island, including the new Manhasset Public Library, which transformed a 16,500 square foot facility into a new 41,600 square foot building.

Since the PPL's plans include utilizing undeveloped land at the train station, a new library facility would not affect the amount of spots for commuters and would create adequate parking for library patrons, according to Lepelstat. The new facility would take up 30 parking spaces, but 54 would be constructed next to the train station under the PPL's plans.

PPL officials have spent decades trying to create an expanded facility that could accommodate expanded services. One of these attempts included a failed 1997 referendum that if approved would have enabled the PPL to construct a new facility on Rockaway Turnpike in Cedarhurst. Lepelstat said that with 1,000 juvenile library cards issued to children in the last two years, the need for an expanded PPL is as big as it has ever been.