HomeMy WebLinkAboutLIB Library Facilities Project Status Update 2018
____________________________________________________________________________________
FOR CITY CLERK ONLY
Council Meeting: 7-2-2018
Disposition: Accepted Report
Agenda Item No: 6.b
Meeting Date: July 2, 2018
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Department: Library
Prepared by: Sarah Houghton, Library Director
City Manager Approval: ______________
TOPIC: INFORMATIONAL REPORT REGARDING THE STATUS OF THE LIBRARY
FACILITIES PLANNING PROJECT
SUBJECT: LIBRARY FACILITIES PLANNING PROJECT UPDATE
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council accept this information report.
BACKGROUND:
The Library is in the middle stages of exploring possibilities for new and improved library facilities for
San Rafael. A needs assessment was completed by Group 4 Architects in 2017, which gathered
information and community input about existing library services and facilities, community projections
and priorities, and an analysis of space needs and site requirements to plan for the future. In January
2018, the City entered into a professional services agreement with Noll & Tam Architects and Planners
for a library facilities planning project.
ANALYSIS:
At this stage of the project, Noll & Tam has completed the research phase of the project —looking at
potential expansion, renovation, or new site locations for three potential library options: a new
Downtown Library, a Pickleweed Library expansion, a possible new Terra Linda branch library. Noll &
Tam has been working continuously with a steering committee made up of Library and other City staff,
the City Council’s New Library Subcommittee, representatives of the San Rafael Public Library Board of
Trustees, representatives of the San Rafael Public Library Foundation Board, and representatives of
the Board of the Friends of the San Rafael Public Library.
This past week, the first of three rounds of public outreach was conducted (June 26th, 28th, and 30th,
2018). This consisted of three public meetings—one in City Council Chambers focused on Downtown
needs, one at the Terra Linda Community Center focused on North San Rafael needs, and one at the
Albert J. Boro Community Center focused on East San Rafael needs.
Two more rounds of public meetings will be held as Noll & Tam refines their ideas, options, and
approaches to best meet the community needs heard at these meetings. Community outreach will also
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2
include online opportunities for feedback and potential other methods of outreach and engagement as
decided on by the team.
The ultimate output of this project is for Noll & Tam to provide the City with top view building plans (a
bird’s eye view of what a footprint would look like for a building, grounds, parking) along with cost
modeling with land acquisition, capital, and Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment (FF&E) estimates for all
three of the following:
• three potential new Downtown Library sites
• two potential options for a Pickleweed expansion
• three potential sites for a new Terra Linda branch library (including any operational cost
increases) including options for shared space with other partners or re-use of existing buildings.
Noll & Tam, along with Library staff, will follow up with a formal written report and presentation to City
Council at the conclusion of the project. At that point, City Council will be asked to decide which, if any
of the presented options, they will instruct City staff to continue to research and pursue, as well as
begin discussion on funding mechanisms for the project(s). Any funding is likely to be a public/private
partnership with both organizational and individual donations toward the project paired with some public
funding mechanism, such as a general bond measure which would need to be voted on by the
residents of San Rafael.
At this point, no decisions have been made. We are still in the early stages of gathering community
input and look forward to high rates of participation at our next two rounds of public meetings. Those
dates will be announced shortly on the City and Library websites, social media, NextDoor, and other
avenues.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH:
To date the City has conducted the following community outreach on this project:
• Visioning workshop and community meeting in March 2015
• Publicity and postings of the resulting community vision
• Community focus groups pop-up feedback gathering as part of the needs assessment
• Round 1 of 3 sets of community meetings focused on the downtown area, north San Rafael,
and east San Rafael
The next community outreach steps will include:
• In the near future, rounds 2 and 3 of community meetings focused on the downtown area,
north San Rafael, and east San Rafael
• Numerous future community meetings, focus groups, surveys, and City Council reports as
the project progresses
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact from this report.
OPTIONS:
The City Council has the following options to consider relating to this item:
• Accept the informational report.
• Do not accept the informational report and ask staff to return with additional information.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Accept the information report.