After a resident raised the issue of whether the Morton Grove Library will have enough parking at a new building it purchased recently, the Village Board sent the proposal for the new property back for more study.
At the April 27 Village Board meeting, Morton Grove Economic Development Director Nancy Radzevich explained that the library is undergoing a major renovation, in which it is updating the library’s physical space to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. That includes widening the spaces between bookshelves to accommodate people in wheelchairs. Consequently the library, located at 6140 Lincoln Ave., is not able to hold as many books as before.
The library purchased a building across the street, at 6200 Lincoln Ave., a few months ago to gain extra space.
“They plan to move computer classes, adult and senior programming into the 6200 building,” Radzevich said. “They noted in the [special use permit] application all the materials to be checked out will be from 6140.”
Getting the special use permit for the new building faces the library with some hurdles. The application first went to the village’s Traffic Safety Commission. Radzevich said the main library building has been operating with a 32 parking space deficit, but the library leases some space in the parking lot of St. Martha Church, directly behind the library, to provide more parking for patrons.
The Traffic Safety Commission recommended approval of the 6200 building contingent on some conditions.
Things didn’t go as smoothly when the library’s application went through the Plan Commission. A resident raised some concerns about parking and traffic and circulation patterns, and asked that a professional traffic consultant be hired to evaluate the traffic and parking.
The Plan Commission recommended denial of the library’s application because it wanted that professional traffic study done. The library agreed, and has a professional working on the traffic study.
Preliminary study results indicate the new building will have minimal effect on traffic and parking in the area, said Library Director Debra Stombres. Renting spaces from St. Martha’s is meeting the need, she added.
The Village Board voted April 27 to send the library’s application back to the Plan Commission.
At that point, Mayor Dan DiMaria addressed Stombres and some Library Board members in the audience.
“Our full intention is to get it back and expedite it for you,” he said. “Good luck and we’ll try to get this done for you as fast as we can.”
Stombres said after the Village Board meeting that it went as she expected.
“I believe we are prepared to address their previous concerns,” she wrote in a email.
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The village is allowing the library to use the new building for storage and staff meetings, and Stombres said she hoped it would be approved by the end of June, and fully functional for public use by early 2016.
The library will also be holding a grand re-opening once the renovations to the main building are complete.
Pam DeFiglio is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.