Library's building plans are past due

Helen Plum Library has pushed the "Our Next Chapter" concept for nearly three years now. Seeing they have yet to even turn the page on their fictional tale of inconceivable building concepts and designs, they need to start fresh with a new author, a new plan, and a renewed sense of transparency. In its current format, it is long past its due date.

We are fast approaching 2019 and still no closer to a shovel-ready project than in 2015 when they began their push for their unprecedented 74 percent tax increase that won voter approval in 2016.

They continually claimed they would be ready to go to the village for planning approval by this December and yet they failed to get an agreement in place with the park district. In April 2018, Plum stated, "These plans have been carefully designed to not encroach on agreements with the Lombard Park Board or impact Lilacia Park." Was this just another misstatement seeing the reality is they do indeed need park district sign-off before they can even begin a hearing process with the village?

Where does this continued failure in communication with their architect fall? Clearly someone on Plum's staff lacks understanding of the constraints of the Maple Street site they are seeking to build on.

Sadly, time after time the executive director and others point fingers at the park district as the stumbling block, when the fact of the matter is the problems are Plum's own repeated failures.

They have now spent hundreds of thousands on architects, engineers, legal fees and staff time to see it all tossed to the curb with a simple 6-0 vote by the Lombard park board telling them they are done with their charades.

Lombard taxpayers deserve better.

Robert Biddle

Lombard