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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Item - 2026-06-02 - Number 15.1 - Criteria for Library Site Selection and Reuse 16.1 V o� 0 E 0 COUNCIL REPORT � — OREGO� Subject: Criteria for New Library Site Selection and Reuse of Existing Library Site Meeting Date: June 2, 2026 Staff Member: Melissa Kelly, Library Director Report Date: May 22, 2026 Department: Library Action Required Advisory Board/Commission Recommendation ❑ Motion ❑ Approval ❑ Public Hearing ❑ Denial ❑ Ordinance ❑ None Forwarded ❑ Resolution , ❑X Not Applicable ❑ Information Only Comments: ❑X Council Direction ❑ Consent Agenda Staff Recommendation: Provide direction to staff on the development of criteria to be applied to new library site selection and existing library site reuse decisions, respectively. Recommended Language for Motion: N/A Project/ Issue Relates To: Council goal initiative to "Develop a strategy for an expanded and modern library facility, prioritizing the West side of town and urban renewal funding options, allowing it to serve as an all-ages and all-activities community center." Issue before Council (Highlight Policy Question): ❑X Council Goals/Priorities ❑Adopted Master Plan(s) ❑Not Applicable EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The existing library facility is reaching end of life and needs to be rebuilt on a larger site in order to meet community needs. Council has approved a two-track, three-phase public process for site decisions to be made. The first phase includes the development of two sets of criteria to guide community task force work and future decision-making related to reuse of the existing library site and site selection for a new library site. Respect. F,. PI'P,.,_P Trust. Se'vi. 503-635-0215 380 A AVENUE PO BOX 369 LAKE OSWEGO, OR 97034 WWW.LAKEOSWEGO.CITY Page 2 June 2 is scheduled to be the first of two study sessions to develop these sets of criteria. The second study session is currently scheduled on July 7. Then Council will have a chance to fine- tune the criteria before final adoption. BACKGROUND Building Condition The existing library facility has reached the limits of its useful life, with significant and worsening seismic, water intrusion, building system, and accessibility deficiencies. These conditions constrain safe, reliable, and equitable service delivery and will continue to escalate over time, limiting the library's ability to meet core community needs and expectations. Estimated costs to address current safety and maintenance needs are approximately$10 million. While maintenance can extend operations in the short term, it does not resolve core building limitations or the constraints of the site itself. A replacement strategy aligns public investment with lifecycle value, risk reduction, and long-term community needs. Site Constraints In 1974, local voters approved a bond to construct a 35,000-square-foot library. In 1977, a citizen advisory committee found that the library should be rebuilt on a site of at least 2 acres. They also recommended that it be moved to the vicinity of Kruse Way and Boones Ferry Road. However, in the end the library was rebuilt on the 1.1 acre existing site at 706 Fourth Street. Due to the inherent constraints of the site, the facility was ultimately built 23% smaller than voters approved, at only 27,100 square feet. The disconnect between community need and physical capacity is a decades-old challenge. Since 1983, the library has operated on this restricted footprint. During this time, the role of the library in society has expanded significantly, shifting from a traditional book repository to a vibrant community hub. Despite creative use of the space, the existing site can no longer accommodate the growth in usage or the demand for new, diverse services. In order to expand library services to meet community needs and expectations, a larger site is required. Council& Community Direction Since 2022, as part of the annual Council goal setting process, Council has included a goal around the need for an expanded library presence that would replace the failing building and include the space and amenities to serve Lake Oswego's current and future needs. Council's current goal pertaining to the library, adopted March 2026, is to "Develop a strategy for an expanded and modern library facility, prioritizing the West side of town and urban renewal funding options, allowing it to serve as an all-ages and all-activities community center." In 2023, the City launched a comprehensive "Library Visioning Process" to define the library's role for the next several decades. The process included input from nearly 3,000 residents, in the form of a Library Visioning Task Force, community survey, and dozens of consultant-led community interviews, open houses and focus groups. The process found that: Respect. Excellence. Trust. Service N 503-635-0215 380 A AVENUE PO BOX 369 LAKE OSWEGO, OR 97034 WWW.LAKEOSWEGO.CITY Page 3 • The community's vision for the library centers around an accessible, adaptable, and creative library that is responsive to both evolving user needs and the ever-changing information landscape. • Top priorities include addressing the library's facility needs, expanding services and programs, improving communication and outreach to all residents, and increasing accessibility and convenience. • Expanding the physical footprint in a location that is proximate to west side residents is crucial to achieving the community's vision. The library's existing geographic location in the NE corner of its service area is not accessible for most residents. To address this, different service models were recommended by the consultant and explored by staff, including one large library that would be more centrally located, one large main library with one small branch, and two sister-sized libraries. When the findings and recommendations from the Library Visioning Process were presented to Council on July 18, 2023, Council gave firm direction that the City cannot afford the long-term operational costs of staffing and maintaining two locations, and that future work needs to be focused on one large library proximate to west side residents. Lake Oswego's 2025 community survey results highlight the top priority spaces that residents feel are needed in a new facility, including: • Multi-purpose rooms for large meetings, classes, storytimes, and events (79%) • Indoor children's play area designed for learning through play (79%) • Smaller rooms for meetings, workshops, or study groups (72%) • Makerspace with tools and technology to create, invent, and learn (70%) • Dedicated space for teens to socialize, study, and connect (70%) • Auditorium space for speakers, events, concerts, and community performances (70%) • Community outdoor space that connects to a public building (70%) These spaces are consistent with 21'century library design in the region and across the nation. Community surveys and other forms of input have also consistently found that access to the library's physical collections is highly valued and should be maintained. As a highly educated community, Lake Oswego residents borrow library materials at more than 3 times the national average. As of 2026, the conversation has moved from "if" the library facility needs to be addressed to "how" the City can best deliver a facility that matches the community's high usage and expectations. A replacement strategy on a larger site is the only viable way to provide the space and amenities—such as large-scale public meeting rooms, expanded children's and teen areas, and a makerspace—that the 1983 building and constraints of the existing site simply cannot accommodate. Financial Feasibility Respect. Excellence. Trust. Service N 503-635-0215 380 A AVENUE PO BOX 369 LAKE OSWEGO, OR 97034 WWW.LAKEOSWEGO.CITY Page 4 Council has made clear that fiscal responsibility is a key priority when planning to replace the library. To keep costs low for taxpayers, Council's goal statement includes prioritizing urban renewal funding options. Selecting a site within an urban renewal district with the capacity to fund a large building project would significantly reduce the cost of library construction for residents. Sustainable design is another way to reduce long-term operational costs. Furthermore, strong public engagement will shape the final scope and overall cost of the project to ensure it is financially feasible for the community. Existing Site Considerations The existing library site consists of eight lots. Four of the lots were purchased by the City, and the other four lots were generously donated to the City by the Gray family for library purposes. The City Attorney's Office is working on evaluating the purchase and donation history, as well as the scope of any deed restrictions. That information will guide the City in evaluating future uses of the site. The future of the existing site is of high concern to the surrounding neighborhood and other key stakeholders. An ad-hoc community task force is recommended to help guide the decision- making around the future of the site. The task force would bring together key community stakeholders including, but not limited to, First Addition neighborhood members, downtown business owners, youth, City board and commission members, and a City Council representative. Approved Framework for Site Decisions To support the next steps of Council and community decision-making around a replacement strategy for a new library, on May 19, 2026 Council approved a public process that is intended to: • Identify and narrow options for a future library site • Identify and narrow options for reuse of the existing site Each track will be guided by an ad-hoc community task force, and accomplished through three phases of work: • Criteria phase: resulting in clear, adopted criteria for decision making about future library site selection and reuse of the existing site • Analysis phase: resulting in a clear understanding of the pros and cons of potential sites for a future library, and pros and cons of reuse scenarios for the existing site, as developed by two community task forces • Decision phase: resulting in formal adoption of a top site, and backup site, for a future library, and the formal adoption of a reuse recommendation for the existing site Respect. Excellence. Trust. Service N 503-635-0215 380 A AVENUE PO BOX 369 LAKE OSWEGO, OR 97034 WWW.LAKEOSWEGO.CITY Page 5 Each phase will include at least one study session with Council, opportunities for public participation to shape the decision-making process, and a Council business item to formalize key decisions. The timeline for the three phases of work was initially proposed by staff as running from June 2026-March 2027. Taking into account the need for deeper community engagement, staff are now anticipating an extension of the timeline into the Summer of 2027. For robust public engagement, the following task forces will be assembled: • Future Library Task Force: Using the criteria set by Council, community members on the Future Library Task Force would help Council to refine evaluation criteria for the project, identify properties of interest, evaluate and analyze potential options, and make recommendations to Council. • Library Site Reuse Task Force: Using the criteria set by Council, community members on the Library Site Reuse Task Force would help Council to develop reuse scenarios, analyze them and present that analysis to Council, and then based on Council feedback, return with a final reuse recommendation. June 2 is scheduled be the first of two study sessions to discuss and develop base criteria. The second study session is currently scheduled on July 7. Then Council will have a chance to fine- tune the criteria before final adoption. DISCUSSION Future Site Criteria Based on previous Council and community input regarding site scope and suitability, staff are seeking more direction from Council on the base criteria that should be applied for new library site selection. Does Council want to formally establish site selection criteria related to any of the following aspects of site scope and suitability? • Adequately sized o A site that is large enough to accommodate core needs of the facility, including parking and usable outdoor space. ■ This could be a lot, or multiple adjacent lots, that could be purchased, or it could be a private or public shared site with redevelopment potential. o A library building consultant has been hired to study our facility space needs and provide a range of square footage estimates for three different building scopes. At the next study session on criteria, the consultant will present their findings to Council, so that an informed decision can be made. Respect. Excellence. Trust. Service N 503-635-0215 380 A AVENUE PO BOX 369 LAKE OSWEGO, OR 97034 WWW.LAKEOSWEGO.CITY Page 6 o Shape and topography of a site are also important factors in site selection to ensure there is an adequate buildable footprint, as is understanding if any part of a site would be considered unbuildable due to sensitive lands. • Equitable and accessible location o A site that is more geographically central to the City's population. o A site in a more visible, prominent location near an arterial road. o A site that allows multimodal access (pedestrian, bike, car, public transit, etc.). • Financially feasible o A site within, or able to be brought into, an Urban Renewal District with capacity to help fund the project. Urban renewal funding is a key part of Council's financial strategy to significantly reduce the cost of the project for taxpayers. o The Lake Grove Urban Renewal District area on the West side of town is currently the only urban renewal area that meets this criterion. • Appropriate zoning o A site that can be zoned for a public library. Existing Site Reuse Criteria Staff are also seeking Council direction on the base criteria that should be applied to reuse decisions for the existing library site. Does Council want to formally establish site reuse criteria related to: • Generating revenue for the new library o To determine the potential revenue that could be generated, staff recommend getting an appraisal that would evaluate both potential resale and lease valuations. o Staff would bring the valuation to Council in a future meeting, with a recommendation that Council consider setting a dollar figure target. • Meeting zoning requirements, code regulations and deed restrictions, as applicable o Staff are in the process of gathering all of the necessary information to bring back to Council and to the community task force, to ensure that zoning, code, and deed requirements are clearly identified. ALTERNATIVES Staff recommend adopting clear criteria to guide the work of the two task forces. Staff are seeking direction on criteria that align with Council priorities as a starting point for Council discussion. Although it is Council's prerogative to identify additional criteria, it is also important to note that each additional criteria will limit the number of options that can be considered for further study. Respect. Excellence. Trust. Service N 503-635-0215 380 A AVENUE PO BOX 369 LAKE OSWEGO, OR 97034 WWW.LAKEOSWEGO.CITY Page 7 Another approach is that Council may wish to identify additional priorities that a task force would utilize to evaluate and rank options. Community task force members may also wish to propose additional criteria or evaluation methods for Council consideration. Alternatives specific to the Library Site Reuse Task Force: • If after satisfying Council's adopted criteria, a desired outcome is to have more active park space in the First Addition neighborhood, staff recommend that the task force would need to define the desired usage and intended audience of the park space, as well as present a plan to pay for construction of the park facilities. • If of interest, a secondary task of the task force could be to advise staff on neighborhood preferences for library microservices. Options could include 24/7 hold pickup lockers, regular bookmobile visits, and library programming at the Adult Community Center and/or City Hall. A book return already exists at City Hall. FISCAL IMPACT Costs related to appraisal of the site and the facilitation of the community task forces would be absorbed by the Library Department's budget. RECOMMENDATION Provide direction to staff on the development of criteria to be applied to new library site selection and existing library site reuse decisions, respectively. ATTACHMENTS 1. Att 1 — Library site map and parcel information from LO Maps, accessed 05-26-2026 Respect. c . �i �„.,p Trust. Vie- 503-635-0215 380 A AVENUE PO BOX 369 LAKE OSWEGO, OR 97034 WWW.LAKEOSWEGO.CITY I LAIN OWWe) 3 a • : T1OAIap. ATTACHMENT 1 + — ce3 0 X r a _ a D a _ © _ III Zcorn,n Zoom Out Par Initial V rar Clear Previous Extent Find Layers Drill Down Tools Markup Help • vG0 PARCEL INFORMATION = X < --- w 47 827 a,'.,, , - —� 816 8 Site Address =706 4TH ST + 803 * 8 1 5 30 844 816 ..._ ill Details 804to N. Tax Lot Number 795 (17 21 E03DB09300 4 792 Site Address /� 706 4TH ST 780 I v- Site City 769 77 785 It 79 LAKE OSWEGO 2 755 770 769 Site Zip 775 97034 Jurisdiction 743 754 755 769 76g_ LAKE OSWEGO 744 �� I B RAR 14 727 735 75 County 726 7 C Building Area (sq.ft.) III 718 725 745 0 to Land Value 706 717 706 743 1565547 703 715 Building Value 7219170 Total Value 70 1 8784717 683 Year Built . 696 64� ,