MARYSVILLE — Sno-Isle Libraries is asking people to weigh in on the draft of a plan that calls for new or expanded libraries in six locations around Snohomish County.
Officials have finished the first version of the library district’s capital facilities plan, a document that looks at the need for library construction, expansion and maintenance over the next 10 years.
The plan has ideas for all 21 Sno-Isle libraries and the district’s service center in Marysville. Most of the work is maintenance, but some locations have been singled out for new or larger libraries to keep up with expected population growth.
The document has been in the works since fall 2015 and the Sno-Isle Board of Trustees hopes to approve a final version this summer. People can go through the draft online at sno-isle.org/facplan. Afterward, they’re asked to take a survey at MySnoIsleLibrary.publicmeeting.info.
The survey continues until June 3. People also can view the plan at their local library. Survey results are meant to help planners decide whether changes need to be made to the document before board approval.
To put together the draft, Sno-Isle leaders looked at data from local libraries as well as national trends in how people are using libraries, executive director Jonalyn Woolf-Ivory said in a news release.
The plan recommends adding libraries in areas including Lakewood and Smokey Point, the 128th Street area near Paine Field and the fast-growing area south of Mill Creek.
Three existing libraries also should or could be replaced, according to the document: Lake Stevens, Stanwood and Lynnwood.
The Lake Stevens Library is the second smallest in the Sno-Isle system and the smallest in Snohomish County even though it serves the fifth largest population within the library district. The board of trustees has decided to move forward with purchasing property to build a new library once a site becomes available that meets the system’s needs and budget, Sno-Isle spokesman Jim Hills said.
The Stanwood library also is too small, according to the plan. People who live in Stanwood have said they would like to see a new, larger library. There’s no timeline for that yet.
The city of Lynnwood is considering a new civic center and Sno-Isle could possibly share the building and add a larger library there, according to the plan. The existing library meets the current demand but the area is expected to get an influx of people in the next decade. It’s also a regional transit hub, which means the library could serve people beyond the immediate area.
The Arlington and Mill Creek libraries are due for an overhaul and expansion, according to Sno-Isle.
Expanding the Arlington library also would tie in with plans for launching a pilot library in the Lakewood-Smokey Point area, which includes part of Arlington and Marysville. Combined, the cities and the Lakewood community have a population of more than 100,000.
In Mill Creek, library officials are talking about replacing or renovating the existing library and finding a spot for a second library in the area.
Sno-Isle also aims to put a pilot library in the 128th Street area south of Everett and east of Paine Field. People who live there, many of whom are low-income, have to travel to Mill Creek, Mukilteo or Lynnwood for services, according to the plan. If a pilot library is successful, a more permanent location could be found.
Sno-Isle Libraries serves an estimated 714,000 people in Snohomish and Island counties. Officials expect the population to increase by about 14 percent, to more than 813,000, by 2025. The service area covers more than 2,000 square miles. The library district has a $41.7 million budget for 2016 supported almost entirely by property taxes.
The plan calls for maintaining libraries in Brier, Clinton, Coupeville, Darrington, Edmonds, Freeland, Granite Falls, Langley, Marysville, Monroe, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, Oak Harbor, Snohomish, Sultan and Camano Island. Camano Island is the newest Sno-Isle library, a $2.3 million renovation of a former restaurant. That was finished last year.
Funding still needs to be developed for each proposal. The capital plan looks at needs but does not include costs, which are likely the biggest barrier for getting libraries remodeled or built.
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com
Sno-Isle Libraries 2016 capital facilities plan
| Library, year built or renovated | Square feet | Population served | Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington, 1981 | 5,055 | 28,532 | Renovate |
| Brier, 1996 | 2,840 | 33,205 | Maintain |
| Camano Island, 2015 | 4,900 | 16,194 | Maintain |
| Clinton, 2000 | 1,296 | 6,314 | Maintain |
| Coupeville, 2010 | 6,000 | 9,115 | Maintain |
| Darrington, 2009 | 5,000 | 3,221 | Maintain |
| Edmonds, 1982 | 20,000 | 38,878 | Maintain |
| Freeland, 2006 | 4,800 | 10,106 | Maintain |
| Granite Falls, 2001 | 6,534 | 25,001 | Maintain |
| Lake Stevens, 1985 | 2,500 | 41,490 | Replace |
| Lakewood/Smokey Point, no current library | 0 | Fewer than 100,000 | Open new library |
| Langley, 1994 | 3,541 | 2,519 | Maintain |
| Lynnwood, 1999 | 25,920 | 58,655 | Replace |
| Marysville, 1995 | 23,000 | 78,061 | Maintain |
| Mill Creek, 1992 | 7,400 | 164,733 | Renovate and add second library in area |
| Monroe, 2002 | 20,000 | 36,622 | Maintain |
| Mountlake Terrace, 1988 | 12,842 | 16,735 | Maintain |
| Mukilteo, 1998 | 15,000 | 33,632 | Maintain |
| Oak Harbor, 1993 | 11,200 | 36,377 | Maintain |
| 128th Street Corridor, no current library | 0 | Open new library | |
| Snohomish, 2003 | 23,000 | 45,010 | Maintain |
| Stanwood, 1986 | 5,400 | 20,842 | Replace |
| Sultan, 1999 | 4,400 | 20,231 | Maintain |
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