“Of course, you – and the town – may be skeptical of this large a savings: what is missing from my scheme?,” Priestley continued. “Does the layout work well? How about operational costs? To address those potential concerns, I have attached two documents. One is a ‘Rockport Public Library Design Area Analysis.’ The analysis provides a side-by-side comparison of areas, directly scaled from the respective plans.”

Priestley also said he solicited a critique of the library designs from a consultant, who told him, Priestley said, that: “a one-story scheme carries lower operational costs. Plus, having no elevator eliminates the initial cost of installation, annual service, inspection, and electrical expenses. Over time, operational costs will vastly outstrip the initial capital cost. Fortunately, the one-story scheme saves the taxpayer on both up-front and on-going expenses.”

Priestley said that given the lead time before the November warrant vote: “there is more than ample time to issue and promote a fresh iteration. I have an accurate plan at the ready; it is my fourth refinement of the same basic scheme so it has been carefully developed. I have a street elevation, roof plan describing volumes, and a site plan. I recall your complementary remarks about your son Justin’s abilities at producing architectural renderings, and no doubt he could adapt your current rendering to a revised plan. Additionally, my office can provide a 3-D model (Sketch-up) that would allow for the creation of perspective views, and a ‘fly by’ video of the building that could be accessed by the public on the Town and Library websites.”

He continued: “All the above withstanding, there might be a few with an impulse to ‘stay the course’ in the hope that private funding might make up the budget shortfall. But there could be few developments that would do more to assure the Library’s success at the polls than an announcement that the Building Committee and team had developed a way to save over half a million dollars in the lead-up to the vote.... Fresh graphic images coupled with a greatly reduced budget and no concessions to Library programming would assure the Town’s interests being met to the greatest degree possible.”

Priestley offered to meet with the design team.

However, Rockport’s Town Manager Rick Bates concurred with Cole’s decision, and said the design team would not be meeting with Priestley. Bates, in emails to Priestley in May, said the town had contracted with Smith to design the new library.

“That was voted on by the Select Board at a regular meeting,” he wrote. “For us to go round and round is pointless.”

Steve Smith, meanwhile, has responded to the Foundation and the Library Committee members with a letter and said: