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Q: Why can't you expand on the existing site?

A: Our first preference was to expand on our current site.

We investigated the land to the east of the building and behind the building for possible places to expand.

In order to achieve significantly larger interior floor area, we would have had to expand/renovate as a two-story library given the shape and size of the lot. The main entrance would be on the second floor. This would require an elevator with ongoing elevator inspection and maintenance, as well as additional staff to oversee a second floor during open hours.

Our parking lot is on a part of the land that is shaped like the point of a triangle, so we have no additional space for parking in the east-west direction.

We don't own the land behind the building.  Acquiring the land would be an additional expense.  There is a large rock ledge behind the building which prevents building additional parking or adding to the structure of our building in that area without extensive blasting, which is very costly.

If we were to blast the rock ledge for parking, the new lot would still have to be constructed at a higher level, thus requiring a retaining wall and steps down to enter the building.  This would make the parking lot difficult or even impossible for handicapped patrons.

We could not add underground facilities to the building's east, since we must maintain a storm drainage area, which is already situated in the area to the building's east.

Whatever is built on the Library's land must conform to the town's requirements for how far back from the street a building can be placed, and for what percentage of the overall lot area any building or structure can cover.  These requirements further restricted the possibilities for constructing additional facilities on our current site.