PORT HADLOCK — After voters last August soundly defeated a proposed bond issue that would have raised $8.4 million for the upgrade of the Jefferson County Library, the library has returned with a renovation plan that will cost about 8 percent of the requested amount.
Library Director Ray Serebrin said the economy led to the loss at the polls, but the upgrade is still needed at the library at 620 Cedar Ave., Port Hadlock.
Voters defeated a proposed bond issue to fund most of a planned $9 million expansion, with 4,312 voters, or 53.69 percent, against it.
If it had been approved, the measure would have raised property taxes by $44 a year for 20 years for a house valued at $250,000, which is the average home value in the library district.
“The election took place right in the middle of the debt-ceiling crisis in the largest drop in personal wealth in the history of Jefferson County, caused by the devaluation of property in the library’s core service areas and a drop in the stock market of 897 points during the balloting period,” Serebrin said at a meeting with the three Jefferson County commissioners Tuesday.
“After we lost the vote, we still had record-setting demand, with growth averaging 10 percent a year over the last four years,” he said.
“Physical space is still at capacity. Shelves are jammed. Floor space is crowded. Computers are full.”
The defeated bond would have been used to renovate and expand the main library in Port Hadlock, adding 9,700 square feet to the existing 10,000-square-foot building, which will also have undergone considerable renovations.
The new plan, as outlined to the commissioners, is a $700,000 project that redesigns the existing building without any additions or expansions.
Of the total, $300,000 in reserves was set aside for the abandoned $8.4 million project, and $250,000 in donations already have been collected.
The Make a Difference Campaign, which kicks off next month, has a $50,000 goal that carries a one-for-one match from an anonymous donor.
Serebrin expects the library will be able to raise the remaining $50,000 in time for construction to begin later this year.
The project includes redesigned seating and lounge space, improved layout of public areas, more computer workstations, more shelving and storage, self-service technology and new carpeting and paint.
“Twenty-plus years of wear and tear have taken its toll with ripped carpet seams, worn upholstery and finishes throughout the building,” said Assistant Library Director Meredith Wagner.
“This project allows us to address those basic needs to refresh and improve the look of our library.”
The 11,170-square-foot building will gain another 500 square feet of public space with the renovation of the existing garage area, with some garage space allocated for staff functions.
With the conversion of the existing garage, a new garage will be built in an adjacent area, though funding for that structure has not yet been secured.
Serebrin said it has not been determined how the renovations will occur with regard to the collections but that each area could be cleared and renovated separately.
Serebrin said the construction schedule has not been determined, but it will require closing the library for three to six weeks.
Service options during the closure will include operating out of the bookmobile in the parking lot or renting a storefront that will be used as an interim library, Serebrin said.
“After the election failed, we just didn’t sit on our hands,” Serebrin said.
“After three months of study, we came up with a plan to better use what we already have. It is a more modest solution than our prior goals, but it is what the political climate and the economy dictate, but we are extremely enthusiastic about its potential.
“We are going to remake this space and make it remarkable.”
For more information about the library, phone 360-385-6544 or visit www.jclibrary.info.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
