In the past year it has seemed to many residents of Rockport, that the Rockport Library Committee has gone off track in promoting the multi-million dollar construction of a huge new library facility. The town’s Comprehensive Plan mandates improvement of space and parking for the library, “while weighing costs and benefits” of the possible solutions. We all agree that the library needs more space, better parking, and other improvements.

Last November there was a town-wide vote in favor of a change to zoning which would allow expansion of ourliibrary at it’s current site. This vote constituted an implicit go-ahead to direct attention towards improving the existing library where it stands. Now, a year later, after an unconvincing dismissal of the possibility of expansion at the current site, the Library Committee is asking residents to approve a newer, larger library at the RES site. Much attention has been given to the benefits of this new library, but little or none to the weighing of costs.

It seems to many residents, myself included, who have joined the Friends of Rockport, that the Library Committee is attempting to steer the town towards construction of a very costly and questionably necessary new facility while dismissing possibilities for a perfectly adequate expansion of the beloved library which has been an anchor of the village for many years.

The Friends of Rockport have developed a construction plan which would nearly double the size of the current library and add eight off-street parking spaces. Moreover, the library could stay open, although with more limited activity, throughout the construction period. The rough estimate for this work is around half a million dollars. The starting costs of the proposed new library facility at RES is $4 million. Next year, Rockport is facing Middle School improvements which will require a $23 million bond. School expenses already account for nearly 70 percent of Rockport’s annual budget. These financial constraints would seem to add extra weight to the less costly solution of keeping and expanding.

The Library Committee’s Chairwoman writes that “Rockport voters deserve a say in where their library is located.” Articles 8 and 9 do not allow voters a real choice of location. Those in favor of a new library at RES have a straight. clear way to vote. The many Rockport residents who want the library to stay located and expanded where it is have been given no clear means of voting to express this preference. Therefore we are urging like-minded residents to vote no on Articles 8 and 9.

Sally Cook lives in Rockport