Navarro Opposes Wheaton Library Move

Nancy Navarro's campaign has been sending this postcard into precincts near Wheaton.

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Wheaton Library: What's the 411? Part Three

By Holly Olson.

In Part Three of my series, I discuss the benefits of relocating the library to downtown Wheaton, both in terms of the redevelopment effort as well as the community. But first, some background information on how we got to this point.

In 2008, the International Downtown Association put together an advisory panel of redevelopment experts to assess redevelopment prospects in Wheaton. The focus of their review was to identify how County assets might be used as an impetus for Wheaton’s redevelopment.

One of the key recommendations of the report was to relocate the library to Wheaton’s Central Business District (CBD). The report states:

Building an outstanding library in a signature building located in the heart of the business district will signal to potential investors that downtown Wheaton is moving in the right direction. This is particularly important in terms of office tenants, as the County seeks to expand the tax base in downtown Wheaton through the construction of new office buildings.

Furthermore, the panel recommended that the library should be relocated to the southern end of Lot 13 (currently the site of the Mid-County Services Center) and would be part of a mixed-use facility that would also include an arts and cultural center, offices, residential, retail, restaurants, and parking. This facility, combined with Lot 13 (designated for open space) and the Bozzuto and Metro air rights sites, would create a sizable area for the start of a “town square” environment.

So of all the County facilities, why is a library so important to jumpstarting redevelopment? First, the libraries of today are not your grandmother’s library. Libraries are no longer just a place to check out books. They serve as anchors - creating a sense of place and strengthening our community. They function as community centers, providing meeting space and the opportunity for any number of cultural activities and community programming.

Second, libraries can help to stimulate local economic activity. In a report by the Urban Libraries Council entitled, “Making Cities Stronger: Public Library Contributions to Local Economic Development,” they note that Center City library developments have “created vibrant public spaces that attract a steady stream of visitors to areas that often lie dormant after business hours and during weekends.” One of the big issues in Wheaton is a lack of foot traffic during the weekday. Many of the restaurants are dead during this period, and some have stopped serving lunch during the week. The report tells the story of how a Memphis library relocated from a quiet residential neighborhood on the Southside to a retail strip in an economically depressed industrial section of the town. (Sound familiar?) Initially, six of eight storefronts in the retail strip were vacant. After 4 years, there were no longer any vacancies.

Third, the increase in foot traffic generated by a downtown library has the benefit of adding “eyes on the street.” As I mentioned in Part Two, this is an important concept in urban planning popularized by Jane Jacobs. The idea is that increased activity deters crime and enhances the public’s perception of safety. It is a simple, but powerful concept. Given that many members of the community feel that Wheaton is an unsafe place to be, a well-used public library could go along way in helping to combat this image.

Fourth, relocating a library to the CBD would send a powerful message to developers that the County is serious about investing in Wheaton. If the library does move to the CBD, it will likely be part of a mixed-use development. Because libraries are long-term tenants, this reduces the financial risk associated with building such a development. In addition, as anchor tenants, libraries bring in foot traffic without competing directly for commercial sales - another benefit to potential tenants that might consider leasing space in such a development.

OK, but what about the community? How does it help us? First, relocating the library to the CBD will improve accessibility. At its current location, the primary way to get to the library is by auto (unless you live in the immediate neighborhood). By positioning itself in the heart of the downtown, the community can now access the library by metro, bus, foot, and auto. And given that libraries are built for the people, by the people (with our tax dollars), one of the main priorities of a library should be making itself as accessible as possible.

Second, relocating the library to the downtown would minimize the time the library is closed. If the library is renovated at its current site, the library would be closed for up to two years. If the library is relocated, the closure time would be limited to a matter of weeks to allow for the transport of books and equipment.

Third, moving the library to the CBD enhances the urban experience. Many County residents enjoy being able to park their car and do multiple things in one trip. If the library moves to downtown, it would mean that individuals could combine a trip to the library with other things in the downtown - a lunch, a shopping trip, a coffee break etc. At its current location, the library is almost an out of the way destination - something that deserves its own trip. By moving it to a more central location, individuals may be more likely to patronize both the library and the businesses of Wheaton. In short, the CBD becomes a destination location — and this helps not only consumers, but many of our small business owners who are also part of the Wheaton community.

The times that we currently live in aren’t so good. As a result, I think our natural instinct is to close in on things that feel safe and familiar. We are less likely to take risks and to think outside of the box. So for many, it can be hard to see how the library fits in to the big picture of redevelopment in Wheaton, particularly when Wheaton isn’t looking so hot these days. But it is important to remember that the library is only one part of the redevelopment vision. There are lots of other pieces - and together, they form a beautiful mosaic of a new and vibrant downtown.

So if you will indulge me for a moment, I would to share with you my vision for the future. Picture a Wheaton that looks like this:


It is a beautiful, sunny Saturday afternoon in early June. Adam and I take our young son out to one of Wheaton’s great restaurants - maybe some Vietnamese, Thai, or Salvadoran, and dine at one of the outdoor tables. After we finish with lunch, we head over to the library, which is known throughout the County for its children’s section. After our son picks out a few books, we head over to Marchone’s Italian Deli to buy a cookie or two. We finish out the afternoon by enjoying our cookies on the new public plaza while we watch a pick-up game of soccer on the grassy area.

I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a pretty nice day to me.

Holly Olson is a former Chair of the Wheaton Redevelopment Advisory Committee.

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Wheaton Library: What's the 411? Part Two

By Holly Olson.

In Part Two of my series on the Wheaton Library, I discuss the arguments raised at the February 9th meeting in favor of renovating the library at its current location. MPW readers can find additional information about the position of those opposing relocation at their website.

The majority of the attendees at the February meeting were opposed to relocating the library. The main concerns that they raised about relocation included: accessibility, parking, crime/safety, the library as a community resource, and uncertainty about the future use of the site.

Parking

Opponents’ view: The current library facility provides ample parking that is both free and safe. If the library is relocated to the Wheaton Central Business District (CBD), patrons will likely have to park in a metered garage. Residents also expressed concerned about the County’s ability to provide adequate safety in public garages.

I am not going to sugar coat this one. Parking availability is a legitimate concern, particularly given that Lot 13 (the open air surface lot bounded by Reedie and Blueridge) is targeted as open space in the County’s redevelopment plans.

With that said, the County is well aware of its parking needs. In 2008, the International Downtown Association reviewed Wheaton and developed a series of short and long term recommendations for how redevelopment in Wheaton should proceed. In their Phase 1 recommendations, (0-3 years), they specifically called for development of replacement parking for Lot 13. Phase 2 (5-10 years) recommends that the County adjust parking supply and location to support Phase 2 development. Phase 3 (10+ years) calls for the County to continue to assess and adjust parking needs and supply.

Bottom line: Parking in Wheaton will need to be reviewed and monitored through all phases of redevelopment. Developing a concrete and pro-active strategy about how parking will be addressed could go a long to assuaging community concerns about parking availability.

Accessibility

Opponents’ view: In its current location, neighbors are able to walk or bike to the library. If the library was moved, they would no longer do this. Residents also noted that the current library location is well situated in terms of public transit, given its location on GA Ave ( a major bus route).

Walkability both to and within the CBD is a long-standing issue. An extensive study on this issue, “Wheaton Metro Station Area Pedestrian Safety Evaluation,” was conducted in 2004 by Kittelson and Associates for the MD Department of Transportation. And while the County has made some strides in terms of improving pedestrian safety, future redevelopment plans will need to go much further in terms of developing Wheaton into a walkable downtown.

It is worth noting the current and planned development along the GA Avenue corridor between Blue Ridge and Arcola should significantly improve the pedestrian experience. Currently, this corridor is a dead zone, and offers little in the way of activity and streetscaping. But with both the Centex development at the Good Council site nearing completion, and Avalon Bay planning a mixed-use development at GA and Blueridge, the corridor will be activated, making it a more enjoyable and safe route for pedestrians to access to the CBD.

As to the last point regarding transit access, the current location of the library is inferior to a location within the CBD. Yes, patrons can access the current library site by using the bus routes on Georgia, but that is nothing compared to being located on a metro station.

Bottom Line: Future redevelopment plans must emphasize pedestrian safety and walkability. New/planned development projects north of the CBD will activate the Blueridge to Arcola zone and create more opportunities for streetscaping. Relocating the library to the CBD will increase transit accessibility for many more library patrons.

Crime and Safety

Opponents’ view: Residents do not feel safe in downtown Wheaton, and in particular would not go there at night.

The perception of crime is a long-standing issue in Wheaton. The fact of the matter is that the data shows us that crime in Wheaton is generally no better or worse than other parts of the county. Nevertheless, the perception that crime reigns supreme is Wheaton is in full force, as evident at the 2/9 meeting. Residents talked about a whole host of violent criminal activity plaguing Wheaton, including murders, break-ins, muggings, shootings, etc. You name it, and according to them, Wheaton has it.

Bottom Line: The County needs to do a better job of combating this perception and addressing “nuisance crime” in Wheaton. But this is nothing new-- all one needs to do is review the Wheaton Public Safety Audit from 2004.

But frankly, until redevelopment occurs, and Wheaton has less closed store-fronts, more activity during all periods of the day and night, and is physically more attractive, people will continue to feel unsafe. This very notion of using ‘eyes on the street’ to combat both actual and perceived crime is one of the basic tenants in Jane Jacobs’ “The Death and Life of Great American Cities.”

Community Resource

Opponents’ view: The library is an important resource to the community immediately surrounding the library. These neighborhoods have been left behind in terms of redevelopment and should not be asked to sacrifice their library for the sake of redevelopment in the CBD.

It is important to remember that a library belongs to the community. And in this case, the community is very large. It includes not only the surrounding neighborhoods, but the entire 20902 zipcode (which covers a huge swath of territory), and finally, the County as a whole. In terms of determining whether to relocate, one of the driving factors should be how well the current site serves the community. If relocating within the CBD will improve accessibility and increase usage, then the answer becomes quite clear-- relocate the library.

Bottom Line: The library would be moving a few blocks down the street—not miles. Residents in the neighborhood would still have the Rafferty and Rec Center, and if the County is smart, they will use the vacated library to house another type of public facility that will benefit the entire community.

Uncertainty about the Future of the Site

Opponents’ view: If the library relocates, the current site will first be offered to other County agencies, and if there are no takers, it will be sold. There has be no assurance that the site will not be sold to a developer for more townhomes.

This is a very legitimate concern. The community should not have to be asked to make a decision about whether the library should move without having a clue about what the vacated property will become. After all, who wants to give up a library and get more townhouses in return? The County did a disservice to the community by walking into the meeting on 2/9 and not offering any ideas about what would happen to the site.

My personal suggestion would be to create a children’s performing and visual arts center - where kids could take classes and exhibit their work. This would tie in with Wheaton’s designation as an Arts and Entertainment district. Housing and exhibit space could be created for adult artists in the CBD, with the children’s facility would be located just up the street. This would strengthen the ties between the CBD and the Wheaton rec corridor, while providing an alternate use for the library space.

Bottom Line: The County, along with the community, needs to generate ideas for alternative site uses that do not involve selling the property to a developer for moderate to high density residential. In particular, the County should try to maximize the site’s potential given its proximity to the Wheaton Rec Center and Rafferty Center. This would be a wonderful opportunity for the neighborhood to explore other site uses that would benefit them as well as the broader Wheaton community.

In the end, this is about more than just whether to move or not move a library. It is about what defines our community. There are no good guys or bad guys in this discussion - only different points of view. It can be easy to try and place people in distinct groups - the antis, the pro-development, etc. But in the end redevelopment is never that black and white, but rather it consists of shades of gray. I would urge all members of our community to take this notion to heart as this discussion progresses. What unites us is much stronger than what divides us - and in this case, what unites us is that we all share a stake in the success of Wheaton.

In Part Three of my series, I will discuss how relocating the library will benefit both the redevelopment effort and the community.

Holly Olson is a former Chair of the Wheaton Redevelopment Advisory Committee.

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Wheaton Library: What's the 411? Part One

By Holly Olson.

The crowd was angry and the mood was dark. If you got there late, and didn’t snag one of the 80 seats, tough luck - they didn’t care if you were old, sick, or pregnant (as yours truly was at 24 weeks). And if you disagreed with the masses, well, then consider yourself lucky if you weren’t lynched on the spot.

Was this some medieval gathering to watch a beheading? Or perhaps a Salem witch trial? Hardly. It was a meeting about a library - specifically, whether the Wheaton library should be renovated at its existing site or moved to a new location in the center of downtown Wheaton.

Since the meeting was held on February 9th, there has been a lot of discussion about this topic. Just Up the Pike has had several posts about the issue and the Gazette ran an article and several Letters to the Editor about the topic. So of course, I couldn’t stay out of this for long (albeit somewhat belated - blame it on pregnancy fatigue) because I truly care about what happens to Wheaton.

In Part One of this series, I will provide some basic background information on the library and the renovation process. In Part Two, I will summarize the community concerns expressed at the library meeting and assess the validity of each argument. In Part Three, I will lay out the benefits for relocating the library to the Wheaton Central Business District (CBD).

So before I get into the nitty gritty, let’s talk about the library’s history. The Wheaton library was erected at its current site at Georgia Avenue and Arcola in 1960. Interestingly enough, prior to its current location, the library was situated in downtown Wheaton, roughly where Ferdinand’s restaurant currently is.

As a general rule, the County likes to renovate libraries every 20 years. However, the actual period between renovations is now running about 23 to 25 years. The Wheaton library last went through a full renovation in 1983 and a minor renovation about 7-10 years ago. This minor renovation was cosmetic in nature and involved things like sprucing up the paint, changing the shelving, and creating space for the computer room. So, at 26 years since the last major overhaul, the library is definitely due.

During a major library renovation, the County upgrades the building and its systems. In addition, the library may also be redesigned to accommodate changes in service needs. For example, older libraries are often upgraded to account for technological changes such as the increased use of computers and the internet. If a library is renovated at its existing location, it is typically shut down for a period of 1.5 to 2 years. If a library is moved to a different site, the shut down period is temporary; typically only weeks while the content of the building such as books and equipment are moved.

In 2008, the International Downtown Association issued a report examining Wheaton’s prospects for redevelopment. In particular, the report focused on the use of County assets for jumpstarting redevelopment. One of the primary findings of the report was that the library should be relocated to serve as an anchor for a town square in the center of the Central Business District (CBD).

The Wheaton Library was initially scheduled to be in the 2005-2010 CIP. However, it was removed from the CIP when the County Council requested the County further study the issue of relocation versus renovation. One of the ways that the County solicited input was through the community meeting on 2/9. There was also a public comment period (which ended on 3/2) during which the community could provide input online. After input has been received, the County will decide how to move forward and whether the library should be placed in the 2009-2014 CIP in September.

It is worthwhile to mention here that the County has recently shifted its strategy in terms of redeveloping Wheaton. The County is now looking at the approach used in Silver Spring, which would entail using a master developer to develop the area around Lot 13 (the parking lot in the center of the CBD). If the library was relocated, it would likely be part of a mixed-use development that would be executed by the Master Developer. This process would take some time, and therefore, the library would continue to exist on its current site until the redevelopment project was complete. In order for the library to continue operations at its current site during redevelopment, some minor renovation work would be required - such as addressing HVAC issues, upgrading indoor and outdoor lighting, and fixing the entry doors.

In Part Two of this series, I will address some of the concerns raised by the community at the meeting on February 9th.

Holly Olson is a former Chair of the Wheaton Redevelopment Advisory Committee.

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