By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
The library has greatly expanded the type of materials it loans out. That doesn’t include horse-drawn vehicles, though. Still the library is in beginning the process of building a “carriage house” across Church Street.
The Wood County District Public Library’s Building Committee to the first steps toward constructing a new garage in the empty lot to the north of the Carter House on Church Street.
Library Director Michael Penrod assembled the committee to get feedback on the project so he can prepare a request for proposal to architects.
His vision is to have the structure that looks like a vintage carriage house.
The structure would provide room to store the library’s maintenance equipment, expanded workshop area, and park its two vans. The bookmobile would remain in its bay at the library across the street where it can be more easily loaded and unloaded.
Members of the board agreed that a second floor would be added to be used for storage of books.
Penrod said the library’s shelving is so full that the library no longer accepts donations.
The initial first floor plan called for as much as 2,880 square feet. A second floor could potentially double that. The second floor will have an enforced concrete floor to support the weight of books.
Daniel Hergert, the maintenance supervisor, said the addition would greatly improve the efficiency of operations, as well as free up space in the library.
The committee also agreed with Penrod’s idea that the structure be done in a simplified Italianate Victorian style to match the design of the Carter House, which was built about 1877.
Trustee Brian Paskvan said that “there are not many opportunities to build… . We should get as much space as we possibly can without looking out of proportion.”
“We don’t want to build something that overpowers the Carter House,” Penrod said. “We want something that blends in.”
Paskvan said achieving the right look would not involve anything ornate, a few details would be all that’s needed.
Penrod said he hoped after a few years the new “carriage” house would look like it was old as the Carter House.
Penrod said the library, which is its own government entity, will work “within the spirit” of the city’s zoning code. While the building may exceed the 18-foot height limit, there are a number of old carriage houses within the historic district that are taller than that.
This has been Penrod’s vision since the library purchased the house that formerly occupied the lot in October, 2021.
The new structure will be located at the back of the lot with the driveway running along its east side.
Penrod said he does not expect that there will be public access to the building.
The project will maintain the slight hill that leads up to the Carter House. The trees on the site will be kept including the beech, which is the tallest of that species in the city.
Ken Frisch, president of the board of trustees, said there was no timeline for the project.
No cost was mentioned. The property was purchased using pipeline funds.
Before the pandemic, the library was considering an ambitious expansion and renovation project, but that was eventually shelved in favor of more modest improvements.
