By ROBERT LINNEHAN | The Haddonfield Sun
An appraisal of the public library building has been put on hold by borough commissioners as they explore different firms to see if a lower cost can be found.
Commissioner Jeff Kasko said he was pleased that his fellow commissioners Tish Colombi and Ed Borden agreed to explore different firms to find the best price for the appraisal.
Kasko said it was not his desire to see an appraisal completed in the first place, but he was satisfied that a search was being completed to find the lowest price available for the project.
“The whole idea of doing an appraisal was not something I agreed to. I don’t think it’s necessary at this time. We have a building and a piece of land that is deed-restricted. The library is also a historic building. I question why we would need an appraisal on something like that; it’s a difficult situation,” he said. “I objected to it. I also questioned why we did not get some estimates. Regardless of whether it’s below the bid threshold, my philosophy is no matter what we do we need to see if we’re getting the best service for the right price. Anything that we do, I want to make sure we get the best price.”
Craig Black of Todd and Black Inc., originally hired for the appraisal, has agreed to let commissioners explore other firms to see if a less expensive price can be found. Black agreed to do the work for $4,200 (http://elauw.it/kqEIo).
An appraisal of the old building was needed, Borden said, to determine how much exactly the property is worth if commissioners decide to sell. There are a substantial number of residents who favor building a new library at the Allen Avenue site, he said, and if it is determined to be an option going forward, it’s prudent to have the appraisal.
“There are certainly people in favor of examining the Allen Avenue parking lot as a site, a substantial number of them. The volunteer committee that I worked with said there were two viable sites in town for a new library, the current site and the Allen Avenue site. I think that any responsible evaluation of alternate sites has to take into account the value of the current site and whether it contributes substantial value,” he said. “The cost will not have any impact on this year’s tax levy. There is a fund leftover from the last library construction effort.”
The $4,200 contract, Colombi said, was viewed as a fair price for the appraisal. Black has done good work for the borough in the past, and it’s an intricate project, she said, but if a qualified appraiser can be found at a cheaper price it would be a prudent hire.
It’s important to have an appraisal done of the building if something comes about with the Allen Avenue site, she said.
“This suggestion of putting it on Allen Avenue isn’t going away. We need all the information when it comes time to make a decision and having it available at that time. Appraisals take two or three weeks, all that is on hold now,” Colombi said.
Several borough residents have come forward since June and urged commissioners to research the possibility of a new library at the Allen Avenue site. Architects reported that a two-story structure on stilts at the parking lot would preserve some parking spaces and would likely cost about $6.9 million.
A three-story building without stilts would sacrifice a number of parking spots at the site but would only cost about $6.5 million.
At a June public meeting, resident David Hunter urged the Commissioners to seriously consider the property. He said it’s a beneficial site to support a new library and would only cost about $1.2 million more than making the existing building ADA compliant and adding 7,500 square-feet.
