Dan's Papers - July 18, 2008 - EH Library Expansion Gets A Break (Almost)

A week after calling the East Hampton Library's Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) inadequate, the East Hampton Village Zoning Board of Appeals finally approved the study at its July 11 meeting - but they only accepted it as adequate, not perfect, and with the condition that the library provides the ZBA with the parking lot coverage area minus the driveway, and that they clean up typos and minor inconsistencies in the DEIS.

"The library board members and I are happy that our application enabling the library to add 10,000 more children's books, 5,000 high-demand adult books and a relocated handicap-accessible lecture room that will have space for 15 additional folding chairs, has moved into the public review stage," said Dennis Fabiszak, director of the library. "The members of the public will be able to review all of the documents that have been submitted by the library, including the numerous studies done by our expert consultants."

The library wants to expand its children's wing by 6,802 square feet, with half of that square footage located underground. The library's goal is to increase the number of books available to children who are East Hampton Library cardholders. A survey of all East End libraries found the district tying Riverhead for last place, with just five books per child in the district, and the library wants to increase its children's collection by 10,000 books. It will also add onto the downstairs meeting room, located in the space under the library's children's wing, so that it will fit 15 more folding chairs. The ZBA's determination means the library's DEIS can now go before the public for review and comment, moving the project slightly closer to construction. But it hasn't been an easy road for the East Hampton Library.

The East Hampton Village Design and Review Board unanimously approved the library's initial plan, of 10,500 square feet, in 2003. But the ZBA has always been opposed to the project, concerned that the expansion would attract too many new people to the library, creating parking and traffic headaches. Even when the library downgraded the project to just under 7,000 square feet, deeming it a "Type II" action under the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) - meaning it should have been exempt from submitting a DEIS - the ZBA still considered it a "Type I" action, a title reserved for projects above 10,000 square feet. This forced the library to go through the timely and costly DEIS process. This has been the crux of the argument between the library and the ZBA, though the library has complied with all requests made of it. And only when William Esseks, attorney for the library board, addressed each of the "alleged deficiencies" the ZBA found with the library's most recent DEIS point by point. and reminded them that nearly all the information they were requesting had been in their possession since April, did the ZBA reluctantly vote to push the project forward for public review. "You've had this information for three to four months, and we're submitting it to you again and calling it to your attention again," Esseks told the board at its July 11 meeting.

The most contentious questions asked by the ZBA were based on needs assessment, which, Esseks said, are outside of the ZBA's jurisdiction. The ZBA asked for a breakdown of children's library card holders by school district, as well as those who were active users of the library. They also requested information about the possibility of a library extension being built where the need demands it most, as well as whether children could utilize their school libraries more often, rather than expand the library.

"The only thing I can think of is they don't want certain children coming into the village," said Fabiszak. "I hope that's not it."

Once the library provides the ZBA with those last bits of information, the DEIS will be available at Village Hall for the public to view, prior to the start of the public hearings on the subject, which have not been set yet.