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Many Renton residents are not aware that the taxpayer-funded Gateway Park west of the Piazza, including mature trees and landscape, will be torn out if the Big 5 (Piazza Site) is chosen for the new library. This is because the Gateway Park square footage must be combined with the former Big 5 parking lot and the former Big 5 building in order to accommodate the new building and it’s entryway. The landscape and trees are finally reaching maturity in this park. Taxpayers paid approximately $250,000 to have this designed and landscaped around 1999, and to have an elaborate irrigation system installed (which has been helping the plantings grow and thrive for twelve years). Like the parking in the area, the cost of this park has never been included in estimates for the cost of the Piazza Library. If land purchases, off-site parking, and the cost of this park were included in the Piazza library cost, then the total price of this option would be between 11 and 12 million dollars, compared the the 10.1 million estimated for remodeling of the Cedar River Library.
If the Piazza Library site is chose, there will be an outcry when these trees get cut down. (Many Renton citizens have been complaining already about tree-losses downtown, primarily due to widening of nearby Rainier Avenue.)
Thanks for pointing this out.
That park is right where a service station was, according to maps I consulted at the museum. We should let sleeping gas tanks lie–maybe; is there any danger to the aquifer in foreseeable decades? How many more sites like that are there in this town?
Gasoline or no gasoline, a city without trees isn’t fit for a dog.
I recall some sort of promise that KCLS would permanently preserve the Northwest Collection, now located in the room on the north side of the Cedar River Library, in a Renton library. These are books about the history of the Northwest, Washington state and local communities. The collection is not large, but it is unique and valuable to Renton residents. I believe that some of the volumes date back to the Carnegie Library. There remain a few citizens who value Renton’s heritage. Does KCLS?
Have a look at the plans for the Transient Center Library:
http://www.piazzarentonlibrary.pcbroke.com/piazzarentonlibrary/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Piazza-Library-Floorplan.jpg
I couldn’t find any place in the new floor plan where the Northwest collection would fit. I never wanted to sacrifice the very efficiently run Renton Library for the expensive KCS (there is not much library left in that system), but every year there seems to be more reasons to regret ill-considered vote. Is it time to start a campaign to de-annex and rebuild an actual library for Renton?
I believe that trashing the Northwest collection would be a breach of contract by KCLS and a valid reason for the city to invalidate the MOU that requires construction of a new downtown library building.
I use the transit center to get to my 90K a year job. Fuck you and your “transient” center snobbery.
I’m so intimidated by your eloquence that I fear to respond. I didn’t give that area its nickname. That’s what quite a few of the staff at City Hall call it, after having a quick look around to see if the Mayor and his cronies are out of earshot. You would not be so offended if you didn’t know there is far more than a hint of truth to the moniker.
I’m glad you and the vast majority of people who hop a bus there have a safe and profitable experience. If I had my way I would not be subsidizing your 90k per year lifestyle. For myself I choose to live within the city where I work and pay for my own transportation.
While the Transient Center is mostly a safe place to visit, sometime after I help pay for your trip to wherever you work, other less industrious people start hanging around that part of Renton. Too many of them are up to no good. I listened to the proponents of the Transient Center Library repeatedly claiming that the area is as safe as any part of Renton. Apparently the head honcho at City Hall does not agree. The city is at this moment spending about $150,000 in materials and staff time to install a state of the art video camera system. The area to be surveilled is fairly large, but it is less than half of the area that was originally proposed. Over time the area being taped is likely to grow as the criminals and crackpots who ‘work’ in the area learn where the cameras are and move beyond their view.
I think that working to catch and convict the perpetrators of the too frequent crimes is a great idea and that the investment in technology is smart, though finding another $100,000 to do the job right would be better. Kudos Mr. Mayor.
Surprisingly the Mayor’s personal publicist, who just got a $100 per week raise (she now makes even more than you, @115k with guaranteed raises over the next two years to more than 130k), is not talking to the press about the Mayor’s pet project for some reason. Perhaps that’s because she is spending so much time earning that raise by editing the weekly crime bulletin to expunge any mention of the continuing incidents that happen in downtown Renton. After all, if the local newspapers were actually publishing every incident that happens there, some of the Mayors potential voters might get the idea that he isn’t doing a very good job or they might conclude it is a stupid place to locate the Library-esque structure that KCLS wants to replace the Cedar River library with. We can’t have reality disrupting the story line about how safe the area is now that we have one or two cops on there on overtime now can we?
Taking the ovriveew, this post hits the spot
This is amazing. We, the tax payers, bought trees to only tear them down. What’s next?
The ignorance of the people’s knowledge of their government’s affairs never ceases to amaze me.
I guess if you don’t pay taxes, you’ll always vote to raise taxes paid by others.
You are so right about the need to protect the mature trees in Renton. It frightens me to think that if roots are coming up under walk ways or streets that the trees will be torn out to make way for new cement and black top. We have seen the results of a slash and burn looks like on Rainier Avenue. How ugly can ugly get?
Any designer worth his/her weight would be able to figure out out to remove the cement and/or black top from root systems and then put down rolling, curving, sidewalks and streets. The sidewalks and streets do not have to be flat.
Renton was given an award for having a green canopy. We may have to give that award back.
When we moved to Renton 9 years ago we loved the trees in downtown Renton and they were then torn out. They were lovely trees. Some new trees replaced some of them but it will be years before they get mature enough to make a beautiful difference. Trees in downtown Renton would go a long ways in making it better looking and inviting.
Union Hat, I share your concern about the NW Collection, which I recall contains some unique items. I’m all for unique and individualized collections, even if it means having to come visit or place a hold from somewhere else. That’s just one of the many reasons I oppose the move.
I don’t have exact figures on the prevalence of non-industrious or in some cases less fortunate individuals at each site, or what they are up to. Insane, unprincipled or desperate people can do bad things anywhere. I do know that people using library computers and so on to look for a job, as opposed to committing crimes outside, will find more of them at a bigger library like the one we need to keep. As for the need for more cops, near a library or far from it, people who make 90K a year will surely be glad to have their taxes pay for said cops. We who don’t have the option of buying cars will be grateful…
Say, how non-snobbish is it to casually mention that one makes 90K a year?
I didn’t think the Big 5 spot could get any uglier – but now I’m hearing the little park next to it will be torn down if the library is built here.
Who’s idea was this anyhow? There are empty lots all over the city that would have been a better choice then the Big 5 spot. How did this small lot get chosen?
Taking out a park we just spent a bundle of money to build. Wow – ultra stupid