by Kristina Gabalski
By a split vote, members of the Hamlin Zoning Board have passed a resolution granting a 22 feet variance for a proposed new library which would be located just south of the Town Hall on Route 19 (Lake Road).
The Zoning Board held a special meeting Wednesday, February 27 specifically for the vote which was 3-2 in favor with Chairman Norman Baase and Klaus Pohl casting the no votes.
The meeting was well attended and the vote was met with applause by many in the audience.
Chairman Baase said the board had taken into consideration all the pros and negatives following the public hearing on February 18. More than 100 people attended the public hearing.
Baase said the vote was, “… strictly about the proper location for the building,” not about the library. He thanked all those involved in the process. “It’s been a tough one,” he said.
“I’m pleased that we received the variance,” Hamlin Supervisor Tom Breslawski told the Suburban News and Hamlin-Clarkson Herald. As a town board member, Breslawski has worked with library trustees to find the best location for the library and to obtain $466,000 in state grant money to construct the new facility. The town has also received $600,000 from resident Margaret McGrath who passed away several years ago, which means the new library would be built with no cost to taxpayers.
Library Director Kay Hughes-Dennett was also relieved and excited. “I understand it was a hard decision for them,” she said, and noted there are “more issues” ahead as the proposal will come before the Planning Board Monday, March 4, at 7:30 p.m.
Sue Evans, president of the Library Trustees, said she was “thrilled” with the vote. She noted that the week-long delay helped everything to work out for the best. It gave the Zoning Board sufficient time to prepare a thorough and detailed resolution. “It got the community interested,” she said. The support boards now know, “the town is soundly behind it. That happened because of last week.”
The resolution passed by the Zoning Board stated that the variance should be granted because the benefits of the new library building outweigh any detriment to the community. It stated that there are several structures around the construction site that are closer to the road than the proposed library; that the location would not be a safety hazard; the building would be in keeping with the character of the neighborhood; the current location of the library is inadequate and that the Town Board will not allow the library to be located at any other site on the town campus.
Library officials hope to begin construction this spring.
