The Library Board, assisted by a real estate broker, architect, traffic consultant and a site consultant and engineering firm conducted an in-depth investigation of the five final sites gathering in-depth, additional information on factors such as development costs, potential access and traffic issues, utility access, neighbor issues, etc.
Armed with all of this data, the Library Board then re-evaluated the five final sites using the decision matrix process, factoring in the study data and public input. A 10.92 acre site on Moe Road was selected as the preferred site for the new library. This is the same site that was a part of the defeated 2003 proposal. However, the Board felt that the weight of the new evaluation and comparative data was overwhelmingly in favor of the Moe Road location and that the reduced cost of the site left no doubt that this was the preferred location.
The Moe Road site meets or exceeds all the criteria defined for site selection. At 10.92 acres, it has the largest total acreage, providing themost space for the library, parking, future expansion and landscaping, while still meeting other town codes for 'green-space.' Although there are wetlands on the site, they are on the perimeter of the parcel, contributing to the 'green-space' requirements while preserving valuable building space.
The site is highly accessible for all district residents, located only a 1/2 mile from the population center of the district and 1/6 of a mile from the geographic center. It is situated along a North/South corridor that is accessible by multiple approaches either by Rt.146, Clifton Park Center Road, Grooms Road, or Crescent Road. All four traverse highly populated areas of both Halfmoon and Clifton Park.
Our drive time shows 95% of the Library district lives less than a 15-minute drive to the site. It is convenient to everyday shopping and is accessible to those using the mall, or going to the movies, or to parents picking up their children from school. It also has close proximity to the YMCA and their 15,000 members and it is adjacent to the Arongen Elementary School. Further, the site is accessible to bicycles and pedestrian traffic to those residents close by or who use the network of bike trails in the area. It is also only 4/10ths of a mile from a planned Senior Housing complex.
The site also ranked second in traffic safety and ease of access in the Creighton Manning Engineering Initial Traffic Assessment completed for each of the five final sites. The assessment covered travel speeds, pedestrian/bicycle access, sight distance, relative level of traffic congestion and jurisdiction for access.
The site meets and exceeds all the criteria for ease of development. There is ready access to utilities at the street and the topography is flat with sandy soil requiring little or no fill. Only a small number of trees will have to be removed.
We also believe that because of the setting and design opportunities, we will be able to develop the site with minimum impact on the residents in the area.
The site is the lowest cost of all other alternatives no matter how you evaluate it, whether purchase price, development costs or cost per acre. At $600,000 for the entire 10.92-acre parcel, that equates to $54,945 per acre. Even if you subtract out the 3.3 acres of wetlands on the site, the cost per buildable acre comes to $78,740, still lower than any other alternative. Costs for this parcel are $210,000 below the 2003 offer on the same land because we are able to deal directly with the landowner this time around.
A new library at the Moe Road location will fit with other neighboring community resources serving both Clifton Park and Halfmoon including the YMCA, Saratoga A.R.C, CAPTAIN, the Arongen Elementary School and main Shenendehowa campus. The site also will enable outdoor programming as it is bordered on two sides by a land conservancy zone and marked nature trail system, a feature of interest to many who contributed public input. Further, it is 1/2 mile to Village Square shopping and 7/10ths of a mile from the Clifton Park Center Mall. In addition, there is the planned Senior Citizen Housing 4/10ths of a mile away. The proximity to the schools makes it convenient for education staff to access the latest resources for their students as well as students themselves.
The site has room for expansion with minimal impact on neighbors, and the available utilities would be adequate.
It is essential we plan for a future expansion given the forecasted growth of the district population. The size of a future expansion will depend, of course, on the size of the new library. We will be determining an optimum library size taking into consideration needs, both current and forecasted, and maximizing taxpayer value with today's favorable construction and financing costs.
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