Lombard Park District rejects another land swap offer from Plum library

Helen M. Plum Memorial Library officials are back to square one in their search for a site for a new facility after the Lombard Park District rejected another land swap proposal.

Plum officials on Tuesday made a second offer to the park district to acquire land for their long-stalled project to construct a new library. This time, officials offered the park district 1.19 acres - including their existing building at 110 W. Maple St. - in exchange for 3.25 acres off Grace Street at Lombard Common Park.

The library asked for 1.75 acres less than it originally sought several months ago. But the response from the park district was still no.

"There is a unanimous lack of support for this proposal for the same reasons your initial offer was rejected," park board President Sarah Richardt said in a letter dated Wednesday to library board President Jason Brandt.

On Friday, a Plum spokeswoman said the library board has scheduled a special meeting for Wednesday "where the next steps will be discussed."

It's been nearly three years since Lombard voters supported a property tax increase so Helen Plum officials could pursue a promise to tear down the existing library and replace it with a 50,000-square-foot building.

Since then, the project has faced repeated delays.

Library officials, for example, have been unable to develop a plan for the existing library site that passes muster with the park district, which owns neighboring Lilacia Park. And village officials have said the plan commission won't review a project for that location until the library and park district agree.

Earlier this year, library officials started seeking other sites, including one at Lombard Common.

But the 3.25-acre parcel the library wanted is part of the district's main soccer fields. Richardt said losing that land would "reduce our ability to provide the parks and recreation services the community desires."

Another problem with the library's offer is the park district would have been asked to pay half the cost of demolishing the existing Plum building. Tearing down the structure, built in 1963 and expanded in 1977, is estimated to cost $708,000, according to the library.

In her letter, Richardt said the library has been collecting taxes from Lombard residents to build a new facility and demolish the existing one.

"The park district will not provide tax dollars for the demolition of the old library, as our taxpayers have already provided you the resources to do so," Richardt said.

Richardt said a new building could be constructed at the library's current location if Plum officials reconsider an offer the park district made in November 2017.

Under the park district's offer, it would provide land and air rights so the library could build a roughly 50,000-square-foot facility. But the new library would have to be farther south from Lilacia Park and its historic coach house.

"Our offer to you would have moved the new library away and created a buffer between the buildings," Richardt said.

The park district is concerned about having a two-story building overlooking the park's main courtyard. But Richardt said the November 2017 offer addresses that by having the west portion of a new library be limited to one story.

Library board members rejected that offer in part because they said it would move the new building closer to Maple Street and Park Avenue. They said the library would need a setback variance from the village.

Richardt said the setback issue falls under the jurisdiction of the village. But she said, "we still believe we can help make this work to the library's benefit."

Richardt ends the letter by telling the library board president that if he wants to meet with the park district and revisit the November 2017 offer, "please feel free to contact us."