Joe D News

Of course the building could be braced for earthquakes, brought up to current codes and made more accessible for wheelchairs and strollers. But none of these changes would make the building an optimal library.

The existing library is on four different levels and would require elevators, ramps, new restrooms and other changes that would significantly change the existing building. It needs to double in size and, because of the inefficiencies of the current building, any addition would probably be bigger than the original.

Extending the current building would result in a bulky addition in the worst location, cutting the playground off from the triangle and Mason and eating up precious space that could be used for recreation.

Could the new library be built and the old one used for another purpose?

No alternative need has been established for the existing library.

Any department of institution that took over the old library would face all the same structural and configuration problems and costs of upgrades that face the library.

The construction of the new library is predicated on the trade of the triangle space for the land under the existing library. This keeps proportionally the same amount of land occupied by the library, but aggregates the recreation space in a more usable configuration.

Wasn’t the triangle purchased for open space?

The triangle was purchased to increase the amount of open space in the park. The proposed master plan results in a net increase of over 12,000 s.f. of open space.

Is the existing library historically important?

Historians and preservationists, including the City’s Historic Preservation Commission, are divided on that question.

The library was designed by Appleton-Wolford, a contractor to the City that designed 8 libraries in SF in the 1950s & 60s. Six of those original 8 libraries, buildings that even the preservationists admit are better examples, are already being preserved. 

The building has been altered over the years. Modernizing the library would result in further significant changes that could affect its historic value.

Where is the money coming from?

The money for a new library is coming from the sale of library bonds already approved by San Francisco voters. If we begin building soon, we may be able to take advantage of lower construction costs.

A State grant application for funds to complete the playground portion of the project has been submitted. These funds are allocated for dense and underprivileged areas in California. Our playground has been selected as one of very few San Francisco projects to be sponsored by the City for the grant. If the funds are not awarded to our project, they will likely go to LA, Sacramento or other California towns. No other potential source of funding for the playground renovation has been identified.

Will the trees surrounding he triangle be removed if a new library is built?

Probably. But 30 new trees, including some large species, will be planted. The new trees will be placed to work best with the new library and new park configuration.

Three ficus trees along Lombard, planted at the same time as the ones at the triangle, have died or lost major limbs in the last 2 years. There is some concern about the health and longevity of the existing trees. 

Will the new library block views?

The height of the proposed library is 7’ lower, on average than the surrounding residential buildings and lower than the ficus trees that surround the triangle currently. Anything currently visible over the tops of the trees will be visible when the new library is built.

The removal of the old library will also open up some views. The addition of the new trees and plantings will create a much softer and greener edge to the Columbus side of the park.

Would it be more ecological to keep the old library?

There are many ways to be ecological. Taking the toxic and impenetrable surfaces of Mason Street and the parking lot and the old library site, planting more trees and shrubs, letting water soak into the ground rather than being funneled in to the storm.

The new library will also be LEED-certified, very energy efficient to operate and a healthier building.

Should we take more time to consider options?

Preliminary master planning studies for the playground started in 1999.

The Library held its first meeting on the North Beach Branch renovations in 2003.

The current plans are the result of 5 community meetings held between April 2008 and February 2009. Average attendance at those meetings was 80 people.

The RecPark Commissison and the Library Commission each heard the issue in session, including public comment. Both commissions voted – unanimously – to approve the project.

RecPark and Library staff have reviewed the options and the proposed project in great detail and found that it serves their needs and concerns best. They do not want to stop and start over. They support the master plan.

The neighborhood Parent Teacher Organizations, the Russian Hill Neighbors, the Chinatown Community Development Center and hundreds of neighbors support the mater plan.

Why go to all this trouble?

The proposed library has some great benefits.

Adults will no longer have to share their reading area with the noise and bustle of the circulation desk, or with the kids and teens. 

Now, the teen “area” is a table in the back of the library. In the new library teens will have their own airy room, with noise blocked from other library users.

Kids have no dedicated space in the current library. In the new one they will have their own area, with furniture, books and decorations just for kids.

There will be a separate room for events and activities like poetry readings or story time. Those activities can take place without causing noise and distraction in the rest of the library. 

There is extra space for books. But – perhaps more important - there is dedicated and efficient room for book handling. San Francisco’s branches are not storage facilities but distribution hubs. We can access an astonishing number of books, tapes, CDs, etc. through the library. But they do not live at our branch. They key to a successful branch is being able to handle literally tons of material efficiently. The new library will have ample, ergonomic space for that important function.

The whole library is larger, more open, more efficient.

The proposed expanded park has some great benefits.

The addition of the park land all the way to the triangle library will allow the addition of plants and trees without the loss of any current playground activities.

A safe and attractive direct connection will be established between the library and the park. (unlike the current library, which turns its back on the playground and can only be accessed by kids leaving the playground and going around the block.)

The addition of the extra space will eventually allow a more complete overhaul of the playground, adding more greenery and access from the west and through the park.