Library plan hearing set for April 15

The City of Sisters Planning Commission will review plans for the proposed new Sisters Library on Thursday, April 15.

The meeting, open to the public, is at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

"We have worked very hard on this plan," said head librarian Peg Bermel. "We are of the opinion that everything we learned from our numerous meetings with people in our community is included in these preliminary drawings."

Richard P. Turi, from North Bend, architect for this planned new building, will be at the meeting to make the presentation and answer questions of the planning commissioners.

The library is intended to be built on the former site of the Sisters Middle School. Cascade Avenue will be extended eastward to connect with the existing road running in front of the elementary school.

The former school administration building, between Highway 20 and the Cascade Avenue extension, will remain intact at its current location.

The proposed new library building, and a site for an eventual new city hall, will be on the north side of the new road, side-by-side.

City Hall will be nearest Locust Street.

The proposed library will be west of the city hall, on Cedar Street. Main Avenue will border the properties on the north.

This will give good access to both facilities and ample parking both on-site and off the site along the side streets.

Prior to Turi's producing the preliminary schematics, a number of public meetings with various groups were held throughout the community to gain their input.

"We had a meeting with our library district board as early as October of last year," Bermel said.

"We also solicited comments and suggestions from the Sisters Kiwanis Club, the Sisters Rotary Club, and in meetings with our local staff, the Friends of the Sisters Library and members of the Sisters Library Advisory Council," she said.

A Sisters Library Design Advisory Committee (SLDAC) was formed with eight community leaders. It has met a number of times.

Three hundered community members received a questionnaire, which was also available to the general public in the library.

Over 125 forms were returned.

"We are so grateful that so many people have been involved," Bermel said. "We think we have an outstanding project about which we can all be greatly excited."

If the planning commission approves the concept drawing and the site plan, Turi said that he will immediately start on the final working drawings.

Construction could start as early as mid-summer.

"Our target date for opening our new library is September, 2005," Bermel said.

Members of the Sisters Library design advisory committee were Mary Beth Pearl-Gent, the elected representative on the District Library Board from this area; Deb Kollodge, a member of the city council; Suzi Sheward, representing the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce; Dwight Smith, Friends of the Library; and Cal Allen, Deschutes Public Library Foundation.

Also on SLDAC are Paul Bennett, Sisters Library Advisory Council; Kathy Deggendorfer, Community Action Team of Sisters (CATS); and Tom Coffield, head of Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation (SOAR).