Thread by @DonLDay

Good size crowd here for the @boisepublib hearing. LOTS of chairs put out. Still a few minutes until this begins. Public testimony will be heard. #BoiseDev

@boisepublib As far as I'm aware, the Idaho Freedom Foundation, Friends of Boise Public Library and Boise Working Together all worked to get people to this meeting. I'd estimate a little more than 100 folks here - just a rough estimate.

@boisepublib Jade Riley on an advisory vote: “The city is not allowed on its own accord to place something on the ballot.”

@boisepublib But, Riley says the city can coordinate with county commissioners to put something on a ballot. He said that can only happen on primary and general election dates - but that only happens on an even year. 2019, obviously, is an odd year.

@boisepublib Riley says they have now talked to the county and the Assoc. of Idaho cities. "We can find no explicit authority to allow the City of Boise to place an advisory vote on the ballot this May or November."

@boisepublib Answering a question from Elaine Clegg, Riley said a legislative change at the state level would need to be made. The city no longer administers its own elections, as the county now controls this per state code change a few years ago.

@boisepublib A few murmurs from the crowd as the council moves on from taking an advisory vote.

@boisepublib It's worth continuing to stress that this does not change the citizen initiative process, which still moves forward.

@boisepublib The council will now hear about four options for the Cabin:
- Leave it in place
- Move it near the Lincoln statue
- Move it near the Bandshell
- Move it to a spot near Broadway in JDP
#BoiseDev

@boisepublib Library director Kevin Booe is citing a 2008 study that would have built a 181,655 sf building that would have cost 126-million. Document here cityofboise.org/city_clerk/091…

Strong crowd here

Booe says 1,001 citizens have given public input on the library expansion project

Rob Bousfield with the City of Boise is now talking about project financials. Showing a graph comparing other projects. A few examples
Boise Library - $372/sf
Austin, TX - $471/sf
Witchita, KS - $242/sf
Library at Bown Boise - $406/sf

Bousfield says the comparisons are not exact.

Some quick math by me here shows that of the projects shown, the Boise library has the lowest ratio going toward construction cost. The other projects shown have less overhead

Bousfield now talking about the "new" option - on the east end near Broadway.

Site plan here - outlined in red (it's faint)

Here's a rough Google Map: google.com/maps/place/43%…

This new site has some issues. One is that it could be on the edge of inside an updated floodplain

Now Bousfield is talking about how to keep the Cabin on site. According to the architects "There would be very little change" from a design perspective to this site.

Here is an updated rendering of the cabin with the library project

The "east end" site could need a flood wall of up to two feet to protect from flood water, Bousfield said.

The cost to relocate the Cabin is $650,000. There is little cost of leaving it on site.

Cabin staff/programs would likely have to find a temporary home during construction. Bousfield said this would be a negligible cost.

Council members are now asking some questions about floodplains and elevations.

Council pro tem Clegg asking about trees near the library project. They will be preserved according to Bousfield. Renderings don't always show the trees to help highlight the building design

Clegg asks if the outdoor children's space for the Library could be shared with the Cabin. Booe says yes, it could be.

CLegg asks if everyone has been brought together in one discussion. Bousfield said no. Clegg said that was "probably a missed opportunity." That gathered some applause from the audience.

Preservation Idaho and The Cabin will now be given 10 minutes - then three minutes each for members of the public. Breaks every 90 minutes. Buckle in.

Preservation Idaho says it is not in favor of east end site. Says it takes up valuable park open space - and says The Cabin would be too far from the "grand entrance" to Downtown Boise. Advocating in favor of it staying in place.

Preservation Idaho kept it short - just using three of its ten minutes.

@laurenmclean asks about the current site and context. Preservation Idaho says yes, context is important - and they would support efforts to redesign the library plan to give the building more space.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings "it feels to me, the context would be more similar on the east end on JDP." Asks why Preservation Idaho doesn't support that. PI: "It doesn't mirror the relationship it has to the Capitol and rest of community." Also worried about the floodplain and poss. damage

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings Now Kurt Zwolfer with @TheCabinLit is up. Says they've been excited since the beginning about the library project. Says missions have a lot of overlap.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit Zwolfer said they have invested 250k in the building, which was part of the agreement for the long term lease they enjoy.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit "It's obvious, the architect designed the library to not have The Cabin on site, and thus a retrofit is necessary."

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit Zwolfer said he is skeptical that a retrofit will work for The Cabin.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit Zwolfer said of the JDP sites, the "east end" site is the best option - it has parking, access and a quiet space. But it has many questions open.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit Zwolfer says if city is determined to move forward with the Safdie design - then east end is better. But if city determined to leave it on the spot, he thinks a redesign of the library is needed. "Tweaking the building is not an option."

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit He said a team of the library, Wasmuth Center, The Cabin and the architect could solve this.

"You've hired one of the best architects in the world, I guarantee he can find a way to make this work for everyone."

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit Zwolfer said his board unanimously agrees that the east end site is the best option for them.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit "I'm not talking about the building to go back a few feet and sharing a garden." Says they are worried about pick-up/drop-off and elderly access. Says if city is serious about reworking design, it could be solved.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit @laurenmclean "I've always understood the value of the program, and always appreciated the building, but I didn't understand the importance of context for the building."

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit McLean says she appreciates the suggestion that everyone gets in the room together. "I think we always work best when we work together. It's a Boise thing."

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit Zwolfer "This world-class building was designed not to have the Cabin there. The architect said he didn't envision the building being there."

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit In my conversations with Zwolfer, they are very worried about access and parking. He is echoing that here tonight.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit Scot Ludwig asks if you could build the library, see if the Cabin fits and then move it later. The crowd kinda tsk tsks and he goes "ridiculous, I know." Bousfield says that would be very tough.
Zwolfer: "That's the worst possible scenario."
Ludwig: "Thank you."

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit Public testimony is under way. I won't live tweet this for the most part.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit Diane Davis Myklegard, great-granddaughter of Julia, says she and her family favors the east end site if the Cabin must move into the park.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit A new celebration pavilion and restroom is planned for the east end of the park. "And ladies, it's going to be a very nice restroom, so be prepared," Myklegard said.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit Our first young citizen with testimony. 12-year-old Amelia says she has loved the library all her life. Library executive director Kevin Booe looking on with pride.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit So far, $12 million has been raised for the project - $18 million is the goal, according to Kevin Booe in reaction to testimony from a board member.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit This meeting is very #Boise. Some funny asides and laughter. Pretty collegial atmosphere, so far.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit Most of the testimony so far has been general support for the library.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit Rabbi Dan Fink draws parallel between moving the synagogue from 11th & State to the Latah site. He said it provided better original context to be in a place of peace and quiet instead of next to a Subway sign. He said the same can be true for a new Cabin site in e. end of JDP

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit Biomark gets its first mention tonight. One person is upset it was not included in the site. Biomark has a lease for the building, as does the Cabin.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit Former #BoiseState campus architect said he was surprised at lack of clarity on the project. Said telling Safdie to deliver a project with Cabin in place should be reasonable. Also says the project fee against the budget is out of line from industry expectations.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit He said that the Library fee of $11 million on a $53 construction cost - or about 20% is nearly double what he would expect.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit One young lady is speaking on behalf of her grandfather Frank Eld. She is speaking "because he had a heart attack a week ago, and he has to remain calm." (!)

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TheCabinLit She also asks not to build an "*UGLY*" concrete wall around it "like the one they built around my great grandfather's house in the roundabout." She gave quite a speech.

George Harad: “We are kind of at the point where everything has been said, but not everyone has said it.”

A Boise citizen of three months is now speaking.

We are now down to the last person signed up. Council members will speak next and the , possibly, a vote.

FWIW - parking could be free for the library for two hours, and possibly additional validated parking.

@laurenmclean "I have to wonder why can’t look at this wholly, to more appropriately look at the relationship with the Library and the Cabin and the Anne Frank Center.”

@laurenmclean .@laurenmclean says rushing a decision is "shortsided." Says they are trying to design for the next 100 years.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings says she still feels strongly that moving the Cabin is the right move.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TJThomson says he remains supportive of a new library. Says he is interested in seeing The Cabin thrive and do well.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TJThomson .@TJThomson says he supports the idea from Elaine Clegg and Lauren McLean to bring everyone to one table.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TJThomson @MayorBieter "These are tough issues. People are passionate about it. Unfortunately, in several instances, it degraded. When you call a government board fiendish. When you call a governing board out in a veiled perhaps physical threat, it doesn’t help the cause you are on."

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TJThomson Elaine Clegg: I appreciated the passion. Sometimes if you want to be effective in your testimony, you should pay attention to how people would take it.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TJThomson Clegg says this is a first-world problem "Nobody is going to die."

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TJThomson Lisa Sánchez: "We need to look at how we pay for this new library. I don’t like the look of the new library. It could just be that I like old lady things. But, it’s going to be great for all the people who use it."

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TJThomson Scot Ludwig: I want you to know how much the city values you.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TJThomson @laurenmclean moves that the council works on the east end Julia Davis Park site. "But I want to ensure we don't make the mistakes" made in the past in re: working with The Cabin and other parties involved. Says she wants guidance from staff on how process can be going forward

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TJThomson Now Scot Ludwig is making a motion - that the cabin being moved to the east side of the park, subject to a work session with all the players involved invited to give feedback before final approval. McLean seconds.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TJThomson Clegg said she had been in favor of keeping it where it is. But now she's not sure it can exist in its current form.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TJThomson Clegg said she will reluctanty support the motion. But if it is shown the east end side is shown it can't work, "we need to deal with that very quickly, it can't linger."

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TJThomson Roll call: Unanimous. Cabin will move to east end as long as the site can be made to work.

@laurenmclean @holliwoodings @TJThomson @threadreaderapp unroll