The use of a branch library
is significantly impacted by its location. The Hall County Library Board
of Trustees is committed to constructing branch libraries in locations
where community residents frequently and willingly go. The board will
use the following criteria, listed in alphabetical order, to determine
sites for branch libraries:
| |
- Accessibility: The
site will be easily accessible by car, bicycle, public transportation,
and on-foot.
- The site will provide
for a high degree of personal safety for people entering and leaving
the building, especially at night. Natural or man-made barriers
should not impede access to the site.
- Acquisition cost:
The cost of the site will be within the library’s budget,
and the price to be paid for the site will not exceed the fair
market value of the site.
- Adjacent uses: The
current and anticipated use of the surrounding land will complement
library use in terms of function, peak use times, and traffic
patterns.
- Availability: The
site is currently available for acquisition. The time required
to acquire the site will not negatively impact the proposed project
timeline.
- Community opinion:
The site will be one that will be acceptable to the majority of
the residents in the projected service area of the proposed branch
library.
- Construction/Site
development cost: The site will enable the library to construct
a branch without incurring significant additional costs to prepare
the site for construction or to construct the branch library.
- Convenience: The site
will be close to the geographic and/or traffic center of the area
to be served.
- Environmental issues:
The site will enable the library to construct a branch without
incurring significant additional costs to mitigate prior soil
contamination or other pre-existing environmental conditions such
as poor drainage or unstable land formation. The site will not
be located in a flood plain or on protected lands.
- Legal matters: The
site will enable the library to acquire the property and construct
the branch without incurring significant additional legal costs.
- Parking: The site
will allow for adequate onsite parking for library users and library
staff.
- Size and shape of
the property: The site will allow for the construction of an efficiently
designed branch library. The site will allow for landscaping and
required setbacks. The site will allow for expansion of the building
and expansion of the parking lot.
- Visibility: The site
and the branch library will be visible from major streets.
|
In the event that two or more
potential sites are considered to be almost equal when the twelve (12)
criteria above are considered, then the following criteria, listed in
alphabetical order, will be considered to be of higher priority when determining
which site should be selected
| |
- Adjacent uses
- Community opinion
- Size and shape of
property
- Total project cost
|
Prior to the selection of a
site for a branch library, the Board of Trustees will provide an opportunity
for public comment about the proposed site.
|