50 more parking spots sought at library

By NEAL RENTZ

The Pound Ridge Library Board of Trustees came to a consensus June 18 to return to the Pound Ridge Planning Board with a proposal to expand its parking lot to 50 spaces.

At last week’s meeting, library board president, Valerie Nelson, who also chair’s the library board’s parking improvement committee, said the library’s engineer, Insite Engineering, Landscaping, Surveying & Landscape Architecture, has created a plan to add more spaces in the parking lot.

Nelson said the project could cost as much as $500,000.

The proposal is for a sidewalk from the top of the current parking lot and through and the side of the parking lot, and the addition of a crosswalk, Nelson said. Those using handicapped spaces would enter through the back door, Nelson said.

The current dirt driveway that goes to a neighbor’s house would be widened and paved, Nelson said.

“We would have parking along both sides of that driveway,” she said.

Another feature of the proposed expanded parking lot is to have a one-way circular traffic flow in the lot, Nelson said. 

Nelson added that a formal full proposal has not been prepared by Insite. 

Trustee John Cristiano asked Nelson if she should seek planning board members’ opinions on the proposal prior to the meeting. 

Nelson said the library could request an informal meeting with the planning board, which the library has done previously. Some library board members have spoken with some planning board members, who have provided positive comments about the plan, she said.

Nelson agreed with the request from trustee Selena Shen to have a representative of Insite accompany library representatives to the first meeting with the planning board on the new proposal. Nelson said the library could seek to be placed on the planning board’s July agenda if the required documents were submitted by its deadline. 

Budget

It was announced that Library Director Jennifer Coulter had released her proposed preliminary 870,600 budget for 2026.

Cristiano, chair of the board’s finance committee, said he met with Coulter to discuss the spending plan. The budget has been distributed to his fellow committee members, Cristiano said.

Cristiano highlighted some aspects of the proposed budget. He noted that the library is expected to receive the same funding from the town as it has for about the past decade. Trustee Selena Shen asked Cristiano if library representatives could speak with the town about obtaining additional funding.

“I do wonder about the number being so specific down to basically the dollar,” she said. 

“As a taxing district, there’s a rate, just like the school budget has a rate,” Nelson said. “So, we have been getting the same tax rate out of the funds the town receives for the past 10 years. We never asked for more money.” 

Coulter’s budget is anticipating that the library will receive an increase in investment income in the coming year that could come from higher yields from the trust accounts managed by the library, Cristiano said. As of this May, the library had $25,000 in investment income and the proposed budget is estimating that it will receive $30,000 in those revenues for the 2026 budget year, he said. 

“We’re trying to be conservative here, but it’s probably a beatable number,” Cristiano said. 

There are no major renovation projects included in the proposed budget, Cristiano said.

Trustee Anne Benefico asked why staff salaries and benefits were proposed to rise by about $100,000 in 2026, and if the reason for most of the increase was higher benefits. Cristiano said salaries will go up by about $20,000 in 2026. Higher health insurance costs are a main reason for the higher benefits, he said. 

The trustees will vote on the budget at their July meeting.

The board is slated to vote on the proposed spending plan when it meets July 23. 

Facilities manager hired

The board voted unanimously to hire Bonnie Schwartz as a facilities manager at a rate of $35 per hour. She began her new job June 19.

Schwartz was a former library board trustee and had served as board president. 

Coulter also announced that the library will receive a state grant, facilitated by state Sen. Shelley Mayer, of $15,000 for enhancing community engagement through programs and book collections.