Library Board plots new plan for parking

By NEAL RENTZ

The Pound Ridge Library Board of Trustees is considering rehiring a land use attorney and an engineer to represent it before the Planning Board as it seeks additional spaces for overflow parking. 

The board continued its discussion of a plan to create 20 new parking spots in the back of its current parking lot during its Dec. 22 meeting. The unpaved overflow lot would be gravel.

The overflow lot is intended to be used for the library’s large events. The library has been unsuccessful in its previous efforts to expand the parking lot to deal with additional patrons.

Library board members discussed a potential plan for conducting an informal presentation for the Planning Board, which could lead to a formal review by the planners. At last week’s meeting, Board President Richard Esman, who chairs the board’s Parking Improvement Committee, told colleagues he recently discussed the possible expansion with Town Building Inspector Jim Perry. 

Esman suggested that the board consider hiring Geraldine Tortorella as the land use attorney and Richard Williams, senior principal engineer from Insite Engineering, for an informal parking lot presentation before the Planning Board. 

Library Director Jennifer Coulter recently met with Tortorella. According to a memo distributed to the library board, Tortorella has not conducted a detailed review of the property titles or easements, which would be the first step in planning an informational meeting with the Planning Board, Coulter stated in her memo to the library board.

“It is her recollection that properties adjacent to the library include flag lots, meaning neighboring owners control the long, narrow strips of land extending to the street,” Coulter’s memo stated. 

“Preliminary understanding is that neighbors have previously been described as ‘on board,’ but this has not been formally confirmed through title review or written consent,” the memo stated. “It is possible that any proposed improvements could involve neighbor-owned property, which would require a careful review of existing easements and rights, and explicit cooperation from neighbors, including their being named as signatories on any Planning Board application if their property is impacted.”

In a letter to Esman, Williams said the Planning Board might seek improvements to the existing library parking lot, specifically regarding the current Americans with Disabilities Act parking area, as conditions of approving the overflow lot. 

Willaims wrote that the current five ADA spaces are located in an area of the lot that is too steep. 

The trustees did not take a vote on hiring an attorney or engineer at the meeting. Some library board members noted that Tortorella and Williams were employed by the library during its previous unsuccessful appearance before the Planning Board.

“We’ve been through this exercise before,” Trustee Anne Benefico said. 

The board will resume its discussion when it meets Tuesday, Jan. 20.