Yachats city council OKs final $265,000 allocation for $1 million expansion and remodeling of library

By KENNETH LIPP/YachatsNews

YACHATS — City councilors Thursday approved the final funding and a show of support needed to begin the $1 million, large-scale and long-awaited expansion of the library.

“The difference this time is, it’s going to happen,” said Library Commission chair David Rivinus during the city council’s regular meeting in the Yachats Commons civic room, referring to 16 years of discussion on renovating and expanding the Yachats Public Library.

Rivinus said they expect to begin a 1,200-square-foot expansion and remodeling process by spring and finish next year. On Thursday, he told councilors, they were asking them to approve already allocated reserves from bequests and an additional $265,000 from the city’s general fund.

Importantly, that approval would serve as a “symbol of commitment” from the city, indicating to a major Oregon foundation that the community is behind the project.

Mayor Craig Berdie said an expenditure of that size called for a roll call vote, which was unanimous and met with applause from a half dozen members of the public in attendance.

The cost

The recent push to expand began with the 2019 unveiling of a 400-square-foot expansion plan with an estimated cost of $160,000, mostly paid for with $150,000 left to the city in a will for the purposes of a library renovation. That plan was delayed by the bequest of another $150,000 from an estate that allowed for a more ambitious expansion.

The city then hired a library consultant to conduct a survey to find out what residents wanted from a revamped facility, and the commission came up with a substantially larger plan.

City Manager Heide Lambert noted Wednesday that when she started with the city last year the estimated cost of construction was $300,000. After the dramatic inflation of 2022, particularly for some construction materials, and increased size it’s now expected to cost just over $1 million.

With the approximately $500,000 approved by the council, the two bequests would still leave the project more than $200,000 short. 

The supplemental funding came from an application by Friends of Yachats Library to the Ford Family Foundation of Roseburg, which awards millions of dollars to mostly rural public service initiatives every year. Relatively few awards, especially to an organization so small, are of the amount sought by library boosters — they’ve received initial approval for a $250,000 grant.

To secure that amount, Rivinus said, they needed council to make it clear the city supported the project. They’ll now have that seal of approval in hand when foundation staff conduct a site visit next week.

The design

Built in the early 1970s, the library holds about 14,000 books and a collection of other media within 2,400 square feet. 

Architects and designers are in the final stages of producing plans for the interior of the current building and the 1,200- to 1,400-square-foot extension on the east side, where it will essentially abut the wastewater treatment plant fence. According to a report to council from the library commission, the new design aims to provide more space for staple library functions like bookshelves, as well as add flexibility for different community uses.

For the first time, the building will be accessible to people with disabilities. It will be heated and cooled with a heat pump and powered when feasible by solar panels, with a back-up generator in the event of an electrical outage. The commission estimates the solar-power system will save city taxpayers $1,500 to $2,000 a year.

Some of the library’s collection along with volunteers will be housed in the Yachats Commons during construction.

In other business

Another project planned for several years, the badly needed maintenance and renovation of the Little Log Church Museum, could have its first phase completed by the end of the summer, Lambert told YachatsNews.

The church and museum shut down in 2019 due to deterioration of the building, which has gone without substantial maintenance work for decades. Its exterior in particular is susceptible to the elements — the Douglas fir siding does not fare well exposed to coastal weather. The interior is in fair condition.

City council previously allocated $187,000 for phase one of work to the building recommended by Civil West Engineering — including new exterior walls, “Everlog” type concrete siding, updated electrical and new windows. 

The council Thursday also authorized $5,000 to conduct public outreach that will inform an application for a $100,000 community resilience grant from the Oregon Department of Energy. If awarded, that grant would fund a resiliency plan and make the city eligible for a $1 million implementation grant.

• Kenneth Lipp is YachatsNews’ full-time reporter and can be reached at KenLipp@YachatsNews.com