Should a new library in Oak Harbor be built at the least expensive, most sensible spot? Or should the library district take a chance and site the new building where it will draw customers to nearby businesses?

These questions were discussed during a City Council workshop Tuesday night, though no decisions were made. While a library building committee went by the book, so to speak, council members preferred a novel idea.

“I really believe it should be downtown,” Councilman Eric Gerber said.

Kathleen Shaw, chairperson of Oak Harbor Library Board, presented the council members with the results of the Library Building Committee’s effort to find the best possible spot to put a new library. She explained that the committee’s top choice is on top of ballfields owned by the school district on Jerome Street.

The site would have plenty of parking, room to expand, and would be near both the senior center and a middle school. On top of that, building a 30,000-square-foot library on the site would cost an estimated $10 million, which is just $337 a square foot.

Councilmen Paul Brewer and Gerber, on the other hand, were keen on the idea of building the library at the so-called “Massey site” on Bayshore Drive in downtown Oak Harbor. City and library officials have said that the library would be a big boost to downtown businesses because it would draw an estimated 1,000 people a day to the area.

Downtown more costly

The downside is that the project would cost an estimated $12 million at the site, or $401 a square foot. Moreover, there may not be enough parking downtown.

Yet both Gerber and Brewer bashed the school district site. They said they were concerned about losing the three ballfields and possible traffic problems at the intersection of Whidbey Avenue and Jerome Street.

“I’m not trying to rain on your parade,” Brewer said, “but I think this site would have a negative impact on the city.”

Even though the ballfields would likely be replaced elsewhere, Gerber said they wouldn’t be all together, which is important for bringing tournaments to town.

Brewer suggested that city could sell the current library building and put the money toward a new library downtown.

Members of Harbor Pride, a group formed to boost Oak Harbor, also preferred the downtown site. They recently sent a letter to the library committee stating it wouldn’t be wise to put a parking lot next to the skate park.

The letter states that a downtown library would connect residents to the waterfront area. “Some shopping, banking, eating establishments and mailing service etc. would be available within walking distance to the library,” it states. “This would help reduce some of the traffic congestion that exists in Oak Harbor.”

The search for a new library site began about three years ago. Oak Harbor’s library is part of the two-county Sno-Isle Library System. The current library is located within the Skagit Valley College campus, but the 11,200 square foot space is owned by the city. The current site is very cramped inside and there’s limited parking outside.

The first step in the process was to identity the possible spots for a new or improved library. The library board chose six possible sites, including expansion of the current site. Then the building committee was formed and a consultant was hired to analyze the sites. The $18,000 study was funded by $7,200 from the city and the rest from Sno-Isle Regional Library System.

Two sites are eliminated

The committee eliminated two sites. The idea of expanding the current site was thrown out because it would require building a second story on both the building and the parking lot. The Copeland property in downtown Oak Harbor, located next to Mi Pueblo, was also eliminated because representatives of the landowners didn’t respond to inquiries.

Based on the analysis and a scoring matrix, the committee members rated the remaining four sites. The criteria included accessibility, visibility, proximity to retail, flexibility of site and cost.

Shaw said the downtown Bayshore building, which is the former JC Penney building, was originally the top choice. The building was owned by Pacific Northwest Bank, which was taken over by Wells Fargo. She said the banking company wasn’t interested in dealing with the library district since the process of building the library will probably take a couple more years.

Mayor Patty Cohen, however, said she recently spoke to Wells Fargo representatives and they seemed open to ideas for the use of the downtown building. “That door is still open, I believe,” she said.

The next choice was the school district property, which the district agreed to loan to the library for free. The only acquisition cost is $340,000 to pay for constructing two ballfields elsewhere.

After that is the Massey site, which is half the size. Under the preliminary design, the library would lower-level parking directly below the building.

Tuesday, Councilman Bob Morrison — a member of the library committee — said he spoke to one of the owners of the Massey site just before the meeting and was told that the owners would be willing to drop the price. It’s currently priced at about $600,000.

Cohen eventually continued the library workshop because of the amount of comments and interest in the subject. Shaw said there will also be public meetings to present the plan to residents and gauge interest.

Shaw stressed that no final decisions have been made. “This is a recommendation only. Nothing’s set in stone yet.”

Once a site is chosen, the next step would be to create a library capital facilities district through a ballot measure. The district would likely be the same as the school district, roughly from Libbey Road to Deception Pass. If that’s formed, then voters in the area would be asked to pay for a new library through property taxes.

You can reach News-Times reporter Jessie Stensland at jstensland@whidbeynewstimes.com or call 675-6611.