LAKEPORT >> After a year of design planning, Carnegie Library in Library Park is one step closer to opening up to the public.
The building has been shuttered because it lacks complaince with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible requirements. But an upgrade program is now just waiting for a green light for construction to begin.
The Lakeport City Council authorized staff to advertise for competitive bids for the Carnegie Library Accessibility Upgrades Project on their most recent meeting on Tuesday.
“As one of the major economic development efforts this City has been working on these past few years,I am pleased to announce we have finished the design phase, most notably the design improvements,” Community Development Director Kevin Ingram said.
Some of the main features of the project include: upgrades for the provision of ADA compliant bathrooms, southern entry accessibility improvements, replacement of second-floor ceiling, lighting upgrades and the installation of a LULA lift.
A LULA, or Limited Use/Limited Application, is essentially a hybrid between a commercial elevator and a wheelchair lift. Although it functions much as an elevator does, a LULA serves only to provide handicapped accessibility.
Design plans were made possible by Garavaglia Architecture, Inc., which the City has worked with to ensure that accessibility improvements comply with the efforts to maintain the historical architecture of the Library.
The total estimated cost is in the range somewhere between $200,000 and $225,000, according to Ingram.
This will be paid for by Federal funding through the State of California Department of Housing and Community Development, a block grant Lakeport received in 2014.
Based on a staff report submitted by Ingram to the City, “Community Development staff is recommending that the construction of this proposed project be advertised for competitive bids in order to be constructed this summer.”
In 2014, the City conducted the Reuse Study to find out what the public would like in terms of giving the Library a new purpose. Ingram said the people showed no particular demand other than just having it open and accessible to everyone. “What exactly the purpose will be is vague right now, but there’s a large rapport from the public.”
Library Park visitor Rafael Montecino who walks his dog on a regular basis said he would like to explore inside the historical building, and not just pass by it.
“I think it’s great that they’ll have the Library open again,” he said. “The architecture and building itself are very inviting.”
