The Clearview Public Library board is expressing concern that the sale of land on Caroline Street East in Creemore could kibosh any future plans for expansion.
Library board chair Robert Charlton was in attendance at the Feb. 13 meeting when council heard a pitch by Peter Miller Enterprises for a three-storey, 24-unit seniors’ apartment building. The proponents are asking council to create a lot at 27-29 Caroline Street East and declare it surplus so it can be sold for the purpose of developing seniors’ housing.
Council agreed to direct staff to prepare a report on or before April 24, regarding the proposed seniors’ apartments, including staff’s recommendation on declaring the land surplus.
The library board discussed the proposal at its Feb. 21 meeting, when Charlton presented concerns about the orientation of the building on the lot adjacent to the library, which would cut out natural light at the existing library building and prevent future expansion.
The board agreed and voted to send a letter of concern to the CAO.
“I explained to [the board] what I understood of the proposal and I suggested that it would be a good thing to let staff know what our concerns are with regard to the overshadowing issue and the future expansion plans of the library so they could take that into account when they make their report to council,” said Charlton.
He declined to share a copy of the letter with The Echo, saying it is private correspondence with staff until it is made public. He would say there is nothing in the letter either supporting or opposing the project and the board has not taken a position on the disposition of land.
The library is feeling pressure from a lack of space, he said. The program room is currently being used to house some of the books, which becomes unavailable to the public when the room is being used.
“It creates problems from time to time so we know that as the population of Creemore increases, which it is bound to do, there will be further pressure put on the library,” said Charlton. “Our long-term plans have always been to meet the demands of the community for service with a properly sized building. If the property to the east of us is disposed of, we don’t know how we can expand so we put that in front of staff and ask them to keep that in mind when they are making their recommendation to council.”
Naomi and Peter Miller, along with Wendy Schellenberg, who has been working since 2015 to see seniors housing built in the village, made the pitch to council last month. They told council members there are other options, but they prefer to see the apartment building constructed on the municipally owned land on Caroline Street East because of its proximity to the library and because it is within walking distance of downtown shops, restaurants, and the Creemore Farmers’ Market in the summer.
If the land is declared surplus and put on the market, Peter Miller Enterprises would have to bid on the property.