UPDATED March 2006

CHRONOLOGY of the Haddonfield Library Building Process

• 1915 – decision made to construct a new building that would jointly house the Haddonfield Public Library (which became a municipal library in 1909 and the Historical Society of Haddonfield (which was founded in 1914)

• 1916 – present location, Haddon Avenue and Tanner Street, selected after study by a committee for more than a year and evaluation of numerous locations. The primary reasons the present site is selected are that “it is close to the center of the town” and “it is on the town approach by which most persons enter Haddonfield.”

• 1917 – cornerstone laid for current Library

• Late 1919 -- construction completed and new Library/Historical Society opened

• Mid 1920’s – crowded conditions reported in local newspapers

• 1937 – Historical Society moves out to new quarters

• 1959 – after years of study (since about 1950), a major new addition is completed

• Late 1960’s – crowded conditions again reported

• 1969 – Borough Commission (over substantial community objection) decides not to purchase the property directly behind the Library, which was offered to the town for about $150,000

• 1971 – Haddonfield Public Library building included in the Haddonfield Historic District; considered a “contributing” building

• 1979 – Library Board hires a consultant to evaluate the building and make recommendations. Consultant recommends against a new building.

• 1992 – Completion of Long Range Plan. A major recommendation is that expansion is needed to meet contemporary needs, increased usage, ADA requirements, etc. Recommends appointment of a Building Committee
  
• 1993-1995. Library Facilities Development Committee appointed and meets. Two library consultants hired to assist the committee. Focus was not on the current building, but developing a program based on need. Report accepted by the Library Board in early 1995.
  
• 1995-1998 No major actions taken. [Decision made to wait until the school building issues in Haddonfield are settled.] After one bond issue is defeated, a major bond issue, involving additions to three schools, is approved in late 1999.
  
• 1998 – present. Library Building Committee formed and has continued to meet.  Major charge is to recommend a site for a library that will allow the Library to expand to meet the needs outlined in the Building Program
  

 Work of the current Library Building Committee

A.     Reviewed the report of the Facilities Development Committee and accepted it as still relevant and reflective of the library needs of the community.

B.     Reviewed the many options and possibilities for library sites. Many factors were constantly kept in mind through this process – parking, central location, and prominence of the building, costs – being the primary ones. After reviewing the many options listed below, it was decided to hire an architect with library experience to help the committee evaluate the various options as to the best site for a new library (Phase One). Phase Two will be full Schematic design. The architect selected for Phase One could be considered for, but not guaranteed to be hired, as the architect for Phase Two.

1. USING THE PRESENT SITE
    a. Build most of the new Library underground
            REJECTED: due to history of flooding and underground streams on the site
    b. Add extra stories to the rear on top of the present building
            EXPLORED IN PHASE ONE.
    c. Remove present building and build a new facility
            EXPLORED IN PHASE ONE
    d. Keep the front section (most of the oldest part of the building);
        demolish most of the building and rebuild on site
EXPLORED IN PHASE ONE

e.       Keep the front section; remove most of the building; rebuild on site, with additional ground from the United Medical building next door
EXPLORED IN PHASE ONE  

2. USE A SITE WITH AN EXISTING BUILDING and CONVERT IT INTO A LIBRARY (or tear down and BUILD) 

• Twelve buildings or combinations of buildings were reviewed
  ALL REJECTED: sites too small, buildings not built to library standards (and would be prohibitively expensive to retrofit) and/or excessive cost to acquire
  

• The committee took very special care in reviewing the United Medical property, our neighbor behind the Library. The committee considered acquiring United Medical building and the entire property and
  --Convert the United Medical building into a Library or
  --Convert the United Medical building to a Library connected to t he present Library Building or
  -- Demolish the United Medical building and constructing a new library
  REJECTED: the $2,000,000 price tag and the loss of a substantial tax ratable would be far too costly and difficult to sell to the community

3. SITES WITHOUT A BUILDING
    a. Crows Woods or Scout Field (parks owned by the Borough or School District).
        REJECTED: loss of green space and, more importantly, not centrally located in the town.
    b. Rear of Borough Hall, mainly using the back ends of the Kings Highway properties to the east of Borough Hall and some reconfiguring of the Borough Hall parking lot
        EXPLORED IN PHASE ONE
    c. The back end of the Nicholson property (231 Lake Street)
        REJECTED: lot too small and location is almost hidden

 4. BUILD IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
     a.       Build a new joint Middle School - Public Library combination
     b.      Build a new joint High School - Public Library combination at the corner of Kings Highway and Sylvan Lake Avenue
     BOTH REJECTED: sites too small

 5. OTHER
     Separate the Children’s Library and house it at another location
     REJECTED for many practical and philosophical reasons

 PHASE ONE WORK  

• May 1999 -- Contract signed with Goldstein Partnership (West Orange, NJ) to:

1. Document current building deficiencies  

2. Explore various site options; those identified by the committee to date or possible other options that may arise as we work through the process  

• A number of pre-schematic plans were prepared for the consideration of the committee, among them:
1. Keeping the present building and adding on (either additional floors on the present building or adding to the front).

REJECTED: the architect determined that additional floors could not structurally be added to the present building. The committee rejected an addition to the front of the building, as it would take up the entire park – the closest thing Haddonfield has to a “village green” and would, in effect, hide the present building.             

      2.   Construct a new library on vacant land behind Borough Hall

REJECTED: the necessary square footage could have been obtained, but it was a very tight fit and would involve acquisition of pieces of land from a number of properties. The committee felt strongly that the location, at the back of a parking area was undesirable and the very prominent site it now occupies is important. Other considerations included the safety of people walking through parking areas to get to this location. Part of this discussion also involved the question – “What can the current library building be used for?” The current site is deed restricted to library or historical society use only and the building needs substantial and expensive alterations to adapt it to any other use.

  3. A number of pre-schematic designs were prepared involving demolition of all or part of the present library. After reviewing these plans, the committee made the following decisions:

• Use the present site  

• Retain the front three rooms (most of the original library building) and move them forward on the lot forward about 75’ (leaving a substantial park area in front)
  

• The Historic section of the building would continue to be the main entrance and be fully incorporated into the day to day operation of the Library and would be preserved as the architectural focal point at this location.
  

• Demolish the remainder of the building
  

• Build a new three-story structure added behind and attached to the Historic structure
  

• The new library will be relatively large in relation to the surrounding area and will need to be carefully blended with the streetscape and be architecturally compatible with the historic section of the library and therefore…
  

• An architectural firm with expertise and experience with Historic Preservation is needed for Phase Two, the full schematic design of a new Haddonfield Public Library
  

PHASE TWO WORK  

1.      Eight architectural firms were selected  by a subcommittee of the Building Committee and invited to submit qualifications

2.      Four firms were selected to be interviewed; interviews took place at the end of February 2001

 The Committee selects the architectural firm of Voith & Mactavish. Contract accepted by the Borough Commissioners and signed in May 2001.  

3.      First meeting of the building committee with Voith & Mactavish, June 5, 2001

 4.   Public Input Meeting – June 27, 2001  

 5.     Second Public Input Meeting – January 31, 2002

 6.  Application presented to the New Jersey Historic Sites Council on February 21, 2002. The Sites Council recommends approval of moving the older section of the building forward on the lot and the demolition the remainder of the current building. With certain conditions, mainly architectural, the Council recommends approval of the proposed large addition to the present library.

7.   Meeting with the Haddonfield Historic Preservation Commission -- August 2002. Commission gives conceptual approval. 

8.  Third Public Meeting -- November 21, 2002. Detailed drawings presented to the public. Lease agreement announced for temporary library to be located in office building on Kresson Road, just across the Borough line. Construction expected to begin in Spring 2003.

9  . In response to concerns expressed at a number of Borough Commission meetings, the Borough Commissioners have placed the building expansion plans on hold and instructed the architects to hald construction drawings-- January 2003

• PHASE THREE - 2003 to present

1.  Nolan Lushington, nationally known expert on library buildings, and author of “Libraries Designed for Users: A 21^st Century Guide” is hired to review current plan in February 2004. Recommends a simplified building, a reduction in the projected collection size. Estimates 28-30,000 square feet as the correct size, depending on site

2.. The architects commissioned to do “value engineering studies”, exploring options to reduce size and cost of the project.

3.  The Library Board of Trustees, the Library Building Committee and the Borough Commission met in April 2003 and agreed on the following:
a. a new and expanded library is needed
b. the current site will be used
c. the architects will redesign to make the building simpler, smaller and less costly

4. May 2003 – Building Committee expanded by three members.
   
5. Summer 2003 -- The architects, at the request of the Borough, explore the possibilities of the acquisition of 56 Haddon Avenue in connection with the library expansion and possible conversion of 
   the building for Borough Hall use. Decision made that this is not the best solution.

    6  Fall 2004 -- Leslie Burger, Director of the Princeton Public Library and experience library building consultant, is hired to be a space planning consultant to work with the Library staff and architects.

7. Late 2004 – new Building Program Survey being developed by the Library staff, consultant and architect.  

8. 2006 -- library  building planning "on hold", as the Borough Planning Board and Borough Commission are exploring a comprehensive downtown planning vision, which will include addressing the library building needs.