Library Trustee Statement Addressing Questions & Concerns
The Trustees address some common concerns, and issues raised at the most recent Board of Selectmen’s Meeting. Click on the link below to learn more.
Sutton Library Finance and Warrant Statement
How Big Is The New Library?
- The new library is smaller than many libraries in comparable towns.
- It had to meet the needs of the community for the next 20 years.
- Two different methods were used to determine the necessary size.
Currently, Sutton only has 0.2 square feet per person, while Massachusetts town with populations from 2,000 to 15,000 average is 1.5 square feet per person. Our proposed library is 1.7 square feet per person at the current population, which includes some additional space for population growth and the overwhelming requests for public meeting space.
The Library Building Needs Committee used two different methods to determine the necessary size.
1. The Library Building program, utilizing the standards required by the state. Within those standards, the building needs committee could choose to meet one of the following levels of service: Basic, Moderate, Enhanced or Excellent, and determined that a moderate level of services was most appropriate for Sutton. his program predicted a minim required library size of 17,000 square feet.
2. The veteran architectural firm Johnson Roberts reviewed the project and arrived at a similar answer of approximately 17,500 square feet. The library must be designed to meet the needs of the community for 20 years ahead. Sutton utilized Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Council’s data, which projects growth to 10,360 by 2035. At this population, we will be near the average, at 1.6 square feet per person. It’s also important to note that several of the towns within that group are also pursuing building programs to either rebuild or expand their libraries.