Tuesday, April 14, 2015

2nd Library Meeting Thursday Evening

LEARN ABOUT THE LIBRARY PLANS
The second of three public outreach meetings to disseminate and gather information on the possibility of replacing the current Donald Dungan Library at Lions Park with a new facility, which would replace the Neighborhood Community Center nearby.  Basically, the current thinking driven by our elected leaders is that the facilities would just "swap" locations.  The meeting will be held at the Neighborhood Community Center, 1845 Park Avenue, from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, April 16, 2015.
 (click on the image to enlarge it)
OFFICIAL COMMITMENT?
I attended the first of these meetings and came away thinking much more work needs to be done.  Recently Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer implied that this project is NOT a done deal.  Mayor Steve Mensinger yanked $600,000 from the current year's budget line item earmarked for this project of $1 million so he could have the entryway to his neighborhood spiffed up with drought tolerant plants.  In light of this information, one can only question the commitment of our two top elected leaders on this issue.

PROBABLY NEED A NEW FACILITY
At the last meeting one of the speakers implied that it would not be possible to just rehab the existing NCC building for a proper library.  We presume he meant that an entirely NEW building would be necessary.  That kind of changes everything.  Personally, with the availability of information via the internet, I'm not convinced that we NEED a new library, but still have an open mind on the issue.

MOVE THE NCC?  WHY NOT?
I suggested at the last meeting that, if we have to build a NEW building for a NEW library, perhaps the Neighborhood Community Center should be relocated - to Civic Center Park,  that huge hunk of unused grass along Fair Drive, across the street from the Police Headquarters building.  Subterranean parking could be used and a multi-story building could be erected on the site at approximately the geographical center of the city.  It's worth being included in the conversation.

SEE YOU THURSDAY
Here's a map to the NCC.  See you Thursday evening.

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1 Comments:

Anonymous Where's My Coffee? said...

Hey Costa Mesa, do you know what our financial status really looks like? Do you honestly think there is money for a library? Where does your money go, residents? Its time you find out.

4/14/2015 09:53:00 PM  

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