Work progressing quickly on Yachats’ new library and it could open in early January — with a little help from volunteers

By CHERYL ROMANO/Lincoln Chronicle

YACHATS — It’s been discussed for more than 20 years. It’s been under construction for eight months. And in several weeks, the new, expanded Yachats Public Library is expected to re-open for business.

“We’re shooting for early January for opening,” said Yachats infrastructure clerk Neal Morphis, who has had daily oversight of the project since the city took control in late 2024. The city owns the library and the land underneath.

Morphis predicted that the building contractor “will have it all done by the end of October.”

Then, interior finishing work and parking lot paving will make the West Seventh Street site ready for another big task — returning thousands of books from storage and temporary quarters in the Commons back to their permanent home.

“There’s a ‘Wow’ factor when you walk in for the first time … an element of importance. It feels so expansive,” said David Rivinis, the Library Commission chair who led the project for over 6 1/2 years until city staff took over the work.

“People used to ask, ‘When will work begin on the new library?’ and I’d say ‘Soon’” said Rivinus. “Now they ask, ‘When will the new library open?’ and I say ‘Soon’.”

That expansive feeling is due partly to the bigger space — now 3,600 square feet versus 2,400 before — and partly to the soaring ceilings. The building may look as though it’s two stories high thanks to a series of upper-level windows, but it’s a single story.

Yachats’ original library was 52 years old when it was demolished in March. After much discussion about moving to another location or simply adding to the existing structure, the least expensive option turned out to be tearing down the building and starting over on the current site.

The money to plan and construct the new library came from several sources: a bequest, grants from the Friends of Yachats Library, donations and $600,000 from the city’s urban renewal district funds.

Lots of light, ceiling height

“This building stands out because of its shed roof design” said builder Vern Nielsen, head of Unitus Services of Vancouver, Wash. The series of sloping roofs with steep angles gives the structure a modern look. The design also creates two benefits — space for more windows to bring in natural light, and a ceiling height that climbs to 20 feet, eight inches in the main entrance area.

During a recent tour of the building, Nielsen and his brother Jeremy, who also works with Unitus, pointed out several notable features:

• Motion-activated lights. As you move through the spaces, lights go on automatically;
• Solid maple cabinetry with “silent close” hinges;
• Slanted ceilings as part of the “shed roof” design give a spacious, open effect;
• Abundant natural light;
• Stainless steel used on roofing trim, flashing, gutters and downspouts to avoid coastal corrosion;
• The heating/ventilation/air conditioning system is heat-recovering. Instead of exhausting heated or cooled air to the outside, it’s returned to the inside to heat or cool; and
• Some interior ductwork was left exposed, giving a modern, industrial look. This also maximizes ceiling space because hiding the duct work would have added to construction costs.

The building is compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act regulations, including an exterior ramp and one of two interior bathrooms.

“Good job” and on budget

Nielsen also praised MD Architect + Design of Coburg and Michelle Pellitier of Eugene. They were aided by two local advisers — architect Linn West, who chairs the city’s Public Works & Streets Commission, and Street Schellhase, a civil engineer and member of the Library Commission.

Unitus was the low bidder on the project, which is budgeted at $1.5 million. The city modified some of the original contract specifications to arrive at a final contract of $1.36 million.

“We’re in really good shape with the budget,” Morphis said. “We expect to come in right on budget.” He pegged the cost for interior finishing work and some furnishings at about $125,000.

According to Rivinus, some furnishings from the old building will be moved to the new structure to stay within budget. “This is with the understanding that sometime up the road, we’ll be able to upgrade,” he said.

Along with books, DVDs, magazines and computers for public use, the new library will offer a community meeting/conference room, plus an area for children and teenagers.

The community room will function independently of the library with a separate, locked door, so that it can be used at times when the library is closed. Its use will be handled by Rosa Marchand, who coordinates use of the Commons.

“One thing I’d like to stress is that we put a lot of work into making sure that our librarians have good sightlines throughout the library,” Rivinus reported. “In any community the library is a place of shelter, and we want to keep it a safe and comfortable place for everyone.”

With the exception of one paid administrator, the library staff is entirely volunteer.

Want to help?

In May 2024, library volunteers and students at Angell Job Corps emptied the Seventh Street building and much of its 18,000-item collection was shrink-wrapped and stored in a Waldport warehouse. The remainder, mostly new and frequently-borrowed adult books, children’s titles and some periodicals, was taken to temporary quarters in the Commons.

Now, that process has to done in reverse.

“It’s a bigger job to put it back together than to take it apart,” Rivinus says. “Now we have to be sure that every book is put back in its correct place. There’ll be lots of questions.”

Once again, library volunteers and supporters will have the help of Job Corps students to do the heavy lifting.

“But we need help beyond moving boxes of books,” Rivinus said. Boxes of books will be placed on the floor and extra hands will be needed to place books on shelves and possibly help with checklists and general move-in tasks.

Those interested in volunteering may visit the library website and click on the “Volunteer” tab. On the volunteer form, there is a space to indicate interest in helping temporarily with the move-in, as opposed to on-going work as a librarian — although new volunteers are welcome.

• Cheryl Romano is a Yachats freelance reporter who contributes regularly to Lincoln Chronicle. She can be reached at Wordsell@gmail.com