Despite some intense public opposition, the Brookfield library board is quickly moving ahead with plans to purchase additional homes near the corner of Arden and Washington Avenues where the board is considering building a new library. But at the same time, the board is looking for other possible locations for a new library and members say they are not closing off any options.
Friday the library closed on a deal to purchase the home at 3507 Arden Ave. and turned over a check for $400,000 to William and Carol Hanen for the home. The Hanens have the right to stay in the home for six weeks after the closing date, said Library Director Kimberly Litland.
The library drew upon a newly approved $2 million line of credit from First National Bank of Brookfield to pay for the home. The library will pay 5.95 percent interest on its line of credit according to Jonathan Platt, president of the library board.
After a 90 minute closed door session Wednesday night, the library board voted unanimously to enter into an intent to purchase agreement with the owners of the home at 8621 Washington Ave. The library has agreed to pay $370,000 for that home. The price was determined by an appraisal according to Litland.
The library board also entered into a right of first refusal agreement with Linda Steffens, the owner of the home at 3501 Arden Ave.
“The board has felt that the opportunity for that spot has been too good of an opportunity to pass up especially when you consider that piecemealing other properties together has been difficult,” said Litland. “As you look at different spots, a couple of different spots in town, the Hollywood spot, the Washington and Arden spot, only seems more attractive because the square footage is there. So the board as a whole feels it is an opportunity not to be passed up at this juncture.”
Before the library can close on its deal to buy the home at 8621 Washington it is required to hold a public hearing on the matter. That public hearing will be held Sept. 4 at 7 p.m at Brookfield Village Hall.
An overflow crowd attended a public hearing three weeks ago held at the library on the library’s plans to purchase the 3507 Arden home. Most, but not all, in attendance opposed the purchase and the library’s plans to tear down homes and build in the Hollywood neighborhood.
While moving ahead with purchases along Arden and Washington, Platt insisted that the board is still considering other locations for a new library.
“We are very actively looking at other properties,” said Platt. “At this point we are still looking at it (the Hollywood location) as one option among many. We can’t afford not to consider other areas. There is a potential that something better will come along and there is a potential that site on Arden doesn’t work out.”
The board has targeted five homes near Arden and Washington that it would like to buy. It would then demolish the homes and build a new library across from the oak savanna in Kiwanis Park.
The board is putting together a citizens advisory committee that will help it in its search for a bigger and better library. The library board is looking for a representative cross section of Brookfield residents to serve on the committee. The first meeting of the advisory committee will be held Aug. 30 and will be open to the public.
“We hope, in about a month, as part of establishing the citizens advisory committee, to have more details on the other properties we are investigating,” said Platt.
Platt said the board has recently been made aware of another possible location that it is considering, but declined to disclose that location.
If the board does decide on a different location it would have to sell the homes in Hollywood that it has purchased, or is in the process of purchasing. But Platt said he did not think that would be difficult because Hollywood is such a desirable location.
“Overall this is a stretch of property that would not be a liability in terms of having to put back on the market,” said Platt. “We do not have a sense that we’re going to get stuck with the property.”
The library plans to rent the homes until it can begin building a new library.
The library is looking for approximately 45,000 square feet of land to build a new library and have adequate parking according to Platt. The current library building at 3609 Grand Blvd., built 20 years ago, is approximately 13,500 square feet according to Litland. The current library is cramped, overcrowded, without adequate parking, and lacks sufficient meeting room space according the library officials.
Wendy Castle, a resident of Brookfield for 55 years, asked the library board to consider working with the village to build a new combined village hall and library.
“I would like to be a little forward thinking and maybe merge these two considerations and build something really nice,” said Castle.
But Brookfield Village President Michael Garvey, whose wife Barbara serves on the library board, said that while it would be nice to have a new village hall that is not something the village is currently considering.
“We have no plans to build a new village hall in the next five years,” said Garvey. “We definitely have limited space in the village hall and would benefit from additional space in the village hall, but it is not a priority for us at this point because other financial priorities come first.”
