County Lawmaker Proposes Amendment to Allow Library Bridge

A previously denied proposal for building a connecting bridge to the new Silver Spring Library was reintroduced by Montgomery County Councilmember Valerie Ervin (D-Dist. 5) at a County Council committee meeting Monday.

Although Councilmember Ervin initially voted against the Urban District Renewable Plan, she submitted a memorandum to amend it in hopes that the County Council can vote on constructing the bridge to make parking accessible for disabled library patrons.

"I am writing to ask for your continued support to construct a pedestrian bridge for the Silver Spring Library," she wrote.

In 2009, the council voted 8 to 1 against a similar measure introduced by Councilmember George Leventhal (D-At Large). At the time, Ervin voted against the measure, and Leventhal was the only council member who supported the building of a bridge.

Ervin's new request stems from the limited access that disabled patrons would have to the new library.

"This parking issue is exacerbated by the plan to make the new Silver Spring Library one of the few Libraries in the county serving those with special needs," she wrote.

The cost of such a bridge is estimated to be from $750,000 to $1 million, said Greg Lukmire, a consultant for The Lukmire Partnership, the architectural firm on the library project.

Originally, the option of building a bridge pushed the budget for the project over by $3 million, but recent design changes introduced by David Dise, director of Department of General Services, would potentially lower the costs for the project.

Dise proposed to change the kind of glass they will use on the library's walls; the glass would still meet environmental standards, according to Dise. This change alone would cut costs for the project by $1 million or $1.5 million, he said.

Dise also suggested other strategies to decrease costs, including reducing the floor-to-floor height by 2 feet, eliminating the three-story escalator and replacing it with two elevators, leaving some floors unfinished, reducing the county office space proposed on the sixth floor (or eliminating it altogether) and relocating meeting rooms to a lower floor to reduce the emergency exits stairs.

The proposed changes will be brought before the Silver Spring community in early October for its suggestions and reactions, Dise said.

Councilmember Nancy Navarro (D-Dist. 4) strongly advocated for exploring an option that would leave county offices in the building.

"I think it's so wonderful to have the offices in the building," she said.

Leventhal agreed but stressed that the offices that inhabit the building should offer direct services to the community.

As the committee explores further options to decrease costs for the new library, Navarro said it is possible she could change her vote from the original proposal.

"I'm not opposed to something that a community needs. If there is new information that comes out, I'm willing to reconsider," Navarro said.

While the debate on whether to include a pedestrian bridge continues, planned construction of the Silver Spring Library is scheduled to start in spring of 2011.