Woodstock Library trustees voted unanimously at a September 29 special meeting to accept a purchase price of up to $2,579,000 for the former Miller/Howard Investments building on Dixon Avenue in Bearsville. But Board President Jeff Collins said he is hoping to get the price down to $2.5 million, though that decision is up to the Miller/Howard board of directors, which may meet as soon as this week.
Collins has suggested only bonding (borrowing with voter approval) enough money for the building’s purchase price and renovation, then embarking on a fundraising campaign for an addition since voters are more likely to approve it. Renovating the purchased building for library use will cost an estimated $1.2 million. Thus, the library will be likely be asking voters to borrow just over $3.7 million. Estimates still need to be finalized and trustees plan on signing a purchase agreement at the October 21 board meeting. At that meeting they also expect to schedule a public vote on whether to float the bond. The purchase is contingent on public agreement to borrow the funding. If that doesn’t happen by June 1, 2022, the agreement is terminated and Miller/Howard can sell the building on the open market.
Miller/Howard arrived at the number because the prevailing price for commercial space is $200 per square foot and the building contains roughly 12,895 square feet, Collins explained.
Collins called it a “weird” negotiation process. “I’ve bought commercial buildings before. I’ve bought residential buildings before. It’s usually been a competitive process where we tried to get the best price, either buyer or seller,” Collins said. “This is more of a cooperative process that we’re working with here. They want to sell it. We want to buy it. They want what’s best for the town. We want what’s best for the town. They understand our situation.”
Collins said not including the approximately $1.8 million for the addition in the bond is also what Miller/Howard wants because the bond is more likely to pass without it.
If the addition were to be completed at the same time as the renovation the total cost would be just over $5.5 million. Constructing the addition separately at a later time will cost an additional $400,000 because construction crews would have to assemble and set up again. The Trustees hope they can raise money in time to construct the addition without delay.
Marty Nystrom, who has provided the architectural work pro bono, said things can be rearranged to work without the addition, but it will be tight. “Specifically the children’s room will be no bigger than it is right now. It could be on the first floor. On the second floor North is the area that we have additional room. That is projected to be the art book room, and we do have additional room up there. So I think we have room for a meeting room up there,” Nystrom said. “The things that we do, we will try to make it as permanent as possible. That is, when the addition ever happens that we will not be throwing out a whole lot. We will be trying to make our plan work so that everything is in place and we have to move very, very little,” he added. “Tight, but it will work.”
Rallying public support
The library has yet to present the plan to the public in a meaningful way because it was just a concept. “Assuming that Miller Howard board also approves us, and we do get the signature from them, and from us, then we have a commitment for the building,” Collins said. “And our plans become real, as opposed to conceptual, in the sense of real, like we can do them because we’ll have the building. We just now need the money and we need the town support to do the project,” he added. “We’ll basically make the town aware of what we’re trying to do, what it’s going to look like, what the costs are, what the impacts are, etc.,” Collins said.
Library operating budget up for vote October 7
Woodstock voters will choose two out of three candidates for seats on the Library Board of Trustees and vote up or down on a budget with the first tax increase in two years, when they cast ballots Thursday, October 7 between the hours of noon and 9 p.m., at the Library, 5 Library Lane.
Roz Balkin, Marcia Patten and incumbent Liz Rosen are running for the two seats, but all three candidates will likely take seats on the board, as current Trustee Bobby Bui has resigned to accept. a job at Northeastern University in Boston. The board has decided that the third-place candidate will be appointed to fill the remaining year on Bui’s term, then will have the option to run for election next fall to a full five-year term.
Balkin is co-owner of Sunflower Natural Foods. She retired as vice president and serves as a company advisor.
Patten, a film a television costume designer, moved to Woodstock in 2015. She chose to move here after years of visiting and hiking.
Rosen is finishing her first term on the board. She moved to Woodstock in 2000 after retiring as chief financial officer of the Morgan Library and Museum. She is the Woodstock Library’s fiscal officer and was Friends of the Library treasurer for 10 years.
The 2022 operational budget has a tax levy increase of $11,34.94, or 1.94 percent. Spending is $684,193.94, up $11,994,94 or 1.78 percent. This vote is strictly for operating and no funds from this sum that will be collected from taxpayers will be used to purchase a new facility, as is discussed in the accompanying article.
Again, the budget vote and trustee election is October 7 from noon to 9 p.m. at the library. Absentee ballot applications are available at www.woodstock.org/2022-vote.
Join the family! 
