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50th Street library idea probably won't survive council vote

Members cite constituents' objections

Posted: November 27, 2012 - 5:45pm  |  Updated: November 28, 2012 - 1:42am
Robertson  AJ FILE PHOTO
AJ FILE PHOTO
Robertson
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The faithful at Generations Church apparently won’t be yielding their 50th Street sanctuary to give the city’s Godeke Branch Library a new home after all, for the City Council appears ready to reject a plan to buy the building.

The meeting will begin with an executive session at 3 p.m. Thursday at City Hall, 1625 13th St. The public portion of the meeting is slated to start at 6 p.m.

Mayor Glen Robertson, the proposal’s main advocate, said he likely will be the only vote in favor of buying the site, 3838 50th St., when the contract comes to a vote at the council meeting.

Generations, a nondenominational church, has been at that location since 2009, said Pat Robinson, administrative assistant.

Three council members, who spoke with the Avalanche-Journal about the proposal, said they are opposed to buying the building, saying constituents’ objections to the deal are very strong.

Mayor Pro Tem Karen Gibson and council members Jim Gerlt and Latrelle Joy agreed the high cost of the city’s current lease of the former Barnes & Noble book store at Slide Road and South Loop 289 is something the city can’t bear a lot longer.

The city signed a five-year lease on the former bookstore after discovering in 2009 the original Godeke Library, near 82nd Street and Quaker Avenue, was irreparably infested with mold.

Council members Victor Hernandez, Todd Klein and Floyd Price did not respond to messages left by an A-J reporter.

Backup materials with the agenda for Thursday night’s meeting include a contract to buy the building and land from Platinum Bank for $850,000 — about $120,000 below the site’s value on the Lubbock Central Appraisal District rolls.

The city put up $100 to hold the deal for up to 90 days, allowing a feasibility study.

Robertson said the city wanted to lock the deal up long enough to at least put the idea on the table and talk it over, because “every time word gets out that we’re looking at property, someone buys it and tries to sell it to us for more money.”

Response from the Friends of the Library, the volunteer fundraising arm of the city library system, was very negative, “and I think they have convinced a majority to vote against this,” the mayor said.

Robertson, who is in commercial real estate investment, said his concern isn’t just about getting out from under the costly lease. He’s also concerned about a clause in the lease that allows the landlord to cancel the lease on 90 days’ notice if a private tenant comes forward and will pay more than the city’s rent.

“That’s very good retail space,” Robertson said of the 18,000-square-foot location, adding an improving economy and a growing city potentially make that space far more attractive to retailers.

The arrival of Spec’s liquor and deli superstore in Lubbock earlier this year took up the last large unoccupied major retail location in the city.

“The main reason I pushed for this is that in 12 to 18 months we may be forced out, and then we’re without a library,” Robertson said.

Gibson said she will vote against the purchase.

“Whether I agree with them or not, the input from my constituents is telling me to say no,” Gibson said, adding she still believes the city needs to find a solution as soon as possible.

“I believe the mayor is on the right track,” Gibson said. “I have to give him kudos for stepping out to do what he did.”

Gerlt, who also said he’ll vote against the purchase, said he’s concerned about the cost of constructing a new building.

“Once you start talking about construction, you’re talking about $140 or $150 per square foot to finish out. If you’re talking about 18,000 square feet, that’s beyond our ability to pay cash,” he said.

Gerlt, elected to the council earlier this year, said that while issuing bonds to finance building a library is an option, “other issues could come into play,” including other capital expenses the city is encountering as a result of deferred maintenance.

“Municipal Square is in such terrible shape, it should take precedence over a library,” said Gerlt, adding, “there’s so much deferred maintenance. Our buildings and roads are crumbling around us.”

Joy said she thought the proposal was “premature.”
“I don’t think we’ve done due diligence on other locations that would be more suitable,” she said, adding the city could consider building a new library in one of its parks, which would eliminate the cost of buying land.

To comment on this story:

walt.nett@lubbockonline.com • 766-8744

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• 766-8706

City to settle police suit

In other scheduled action, the council is expected to meet in closed session to discuss — and likely approve — a settlement in an excessive force lawsuit against two Lubbock police officers.

The suit, brought by Robert E. Campbell, a former special deputy U.S. marshal in the federal courthouse security detail, and his wife and daughter in 2011, accuses officers Clinton Lewis and Jeffrey Steven Simpson of using excessive force and violating Campbell’s rights by entering his house without a warrant over a neighborhood complaint in July 2009.

Attorneys for the three plaintiffs filed documents in U.S. District Court in Lubbock, stating the suit had been settled through mediation and documents dismissing the suit would be filed with the court by Dec. 31.

According to the suit, the officers entered Campbell’s home, beat him and shot him with an electric stun weapon several times in an incident apparently related to a handgun he used on the job. He, his wife and daughter were charged with different crimes, but all charges were dropped before the cases went to trial.

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opinionated
1218
Points
opinionated 11/27/12 - 09:50 pm
1
0
The mayor is showing leadership

The council shows its true colors when real decisions are to be made. The mayor seems to be the only one on the taxpayers' side with other council members choosing to vote against the proposal without presenting any other viable options. And Ms. Joy really shows no forethought at all. Our parks are typically flood plains leading to the very problems that destroyed the original Godeke Library!

opinionated
1218
Points
opinionated 11/27/12 - 09:51 pm
0
0
--accidental duplicate post removed--

--accidental duplicate post removed--

serveJesusChrist
4275
Points
serveJesusChrist 11/28/12 - 11:18 am
1
1
not needed

The current lease is way to expensive, the potential buildings to buy are too expensive. Instead of these 2 options, we should just run with 3 libraries instead of 4. It is not like the libraries are busy (other than the computers), people just dont go to the library and read books anymore--the times are changing.

debunked
362
Points
debunked 11/28/12 - 11:30 am
1
1
Leadership from the Mayor?

I don't think so! Applying old school solutions to problems ginned up on possible futures does not represent real leadership. It is agreed that the costs for library services should be controlled. From a previous article on this topic I divided the number of visitors into the lease amount. For every visitor the taxpayers shell out $2 a head. Add some salary and the utility bill and I quess $3 a head. Figure that a good number of library guests are regulars and the cost per indivdual served can easily be $5-10 or more. Now look at Amazon, the largest book seller in the world. Also consider that more than half of sales are digital. You want real leadership, then consider what a library for the future will look like. Aisles of books in big buildings that serve a very limited number of folks is not the answer.

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