After 33 years of coming in through the side door, residents might once again climb the stairs or ramp to the “front door” of the old library at 7 Fairbank Street. Old Library Accessibility Committee Chairman Mark Mikitarian and member Wendy Cote-Magan presented three options at the Oct. 4 Board of Selectmen meeting, one of which was to restore the historical Fairbank Street entrance. In order to provide more data before choosing an option to recommend, the committee requested funding to obtain cost estimates for the three options as well as a site survey. The selectmen voted unanimously to recommend that funding, and they also voted unanimously to submit a place-holder request to the Capital Planning and Investment Committee (CPIC) for accessibility modifications to the old library.
The accessibility committee has been discussing options for the past eight months. Cote-Magan, who is an architect, has done most of the legwork exploring options for making the old library accessible and researching code compliance regulations. The project’s cost will determine the level of accessibility required by the state’s Architectural Access Board (AAB). If the renovation exceeds one-third of the assessed value of the building, the entire building must comply with the AAB’s current rules and regulations, which could mean the need for substantial modifications inside the building. The current assessed value of the building is about $318,000.
From least to most expensive
The first option presented to the selectmen was to continue to use the basement door as an accessible entrance, but to create a new path from the parking area in front of the building to the basement door that would meet AAB regulations for slope. While this might be the least expensive option, the committee questioned whether the basement door would be considered a public entrance if the current door on the side of the building is still used as the main entrance. In addition, the site drawings that the committee worked with showed very little space between the basement door and the property line. A site survey is necessary to determine if this option is feasible.
The second option was to construct a code-compliant ramp parallel to the existing main entrance stairs, which would end at a new concrete platform, shared with the stairs. A new entryway would be constructed to the right of the current door, and the old entryway would be modified into a vestibule. This option would provide a single public entrance for everyone, but its cost would likely trigger full AAB code compliance.
The third option was to restore the building’s original entrance on Fairbank Street (see conceptual drawing below). A code-compliant ramp would be built along the front of the building to the door, and the side entrance would be removed. The committee said that the ramp would not detract substantially from the look of the building, and it could be partially hidden by landscaping. In 1983, the Fairbank Street entrance was closed off, and a new entrance was constructed on the side of the building during a renovation to create more space for the library. Restoring the old entrance would take away some floor space on the first floor, but Selectwoman Alice von Loesecke said the location of that space makes it not very valuable. The accessibility committee favors this option because the entrance would face the Common and would be more aesthetically pleasing than the side entrance. But Mikitarian cautioned that the committee would recommend this option only if its estimated cost were not substantially higher than that of the second option.
Option 3, with entrance on Fairbank Street. (Drawing by Mamie Wytrwal)
A place holder for CPIC
The committee also asked the selectmen to approve the filing of an application to CPIC to request funds for the accessibility modifications. Selectman Chairman Ken Swanton said that, as a subcommittee, the group did not have the standing required to submit an application to CPIC. Instead, the selectmen voted unanimously to submit the three options to CPIC as a place holder for a request. When the selectmen choose an option, they will notify CPIC of its cost.
During the discussions, a few of the selectmen expressed the opinion that the assessed value of the old library may be too low. Town Administrator Tim Bragan said the entire town is reassessed every three years, and, because there is no market value on public buildings, the assessment is not out of line with assessments of other buildings like the old library. Swanton directed Bragan to tell the assessors that the board is “encouraging them” to reassess the building. If the assessment is raised, the trigger for full code-compliance would also be raised, which might make the second and third options less expensive for the town.
Before voting to recommend funding for a site survey, Selectman Ron Ricci said that he thought the estimate of $3,500, which Selectwoman Lucy Wallace obtained from Goldsmith, Prest, and Ringwall, was too high. He suggested that Wallace, who is a member of the accessibility committee, obtain a new estimate from David E. Ross Associates in Ayer. That suggestion was part of the motion to recommend funding for the site survey. The motion also included $3,000 for cost estimates for all three options, a figure obtained by Cote-Magan from an estimator.
The committee will now go to the Finance Committee and request a Reserve Fund transfer to cover the cost of the survey and cost estimates. Ricci asked Cote-Magan and Mikitarian to return when the survey and cost estimates are completed so they can participate in the discussion to choose an option.
