The latest library being cussed and discussed in Orange County is the proposed “Carrboro†library – which is not only an error in name but an apparent misunderstanding of its use and location.
First off, it’s the “Southwest Orange Library†– planned to serve residents from Cane Creek and Mebane Oaks Road to the Chatham County line, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and farther north for those who find the Hillsborough library inconvenient.
Much of the area west of Fayetteville Road and Old N.C. 86 lies in University Lake watershed and is restricted to wells and septic systems with no public water and sewer lines allowed in an effort to limit development and protect drinking water.
So acceptable locations for the new building are pretty much limited to those with established water and sewer lines in Carrboro, even though any location in the town will be a long distance from rural residents.
Building sites have been discussed by the county commissioners and the Carrboro aldermen, and the public will have a chance to speak at the commissioners’ meeting at the Sportsplex in Hillsborough on Monday at 7 p.m.
The aldermen appear to favor a downtown location – why? Parking and congestion are already a major problem, downtown land is much more expensive and children and families don’t live there.
It’s interesting to note that the Chapel Hill library, the most popular public library in the state, is built off the road in a residential neighborhood nowhere near downtown, and doesn’t have an easy biking, walking or bus route to get there. It does have ample parking and a drop-off box for cars.
Many of us who live in Carrboro feel an almost ideal location for the Southwest Orange Library is the land adjoining Carrboro’s Martin Luther King Jr. Park property on Hillsborough Road. It’s affordable at $150,000; parking and development expenses could be shared with the town, reducing costs for both; and it’s in a residential area and close to McDougle School with access by sidewalks, bike lanes and buses that run from other sections of town and parts of the rural areas. It would be even more accessible if new rural bus routes were scheduled to come there or to transfer to buses that do.
Finally, after the site is selected, a board of a wide variety of residents should be appointed to work with government in planning and running the building. It’s a great opportunity for an energy-efficient, solar-powered design to make this a truly unique, cooperative and educational undertaking. Who knows, it could help restore faith in government!
Marty Mandell
Carrboro