I don't find the main library to be "small and crowded." Every time I've visited the library I've found many empty seats and tables. There are improvements that can be made to the main library without knocking it down and building a new building.

The article seems to indicate that a vote will appear on the next ballot for the building of two libraries: the main library and the Bell Haevn library. Are they bundled together so that the only way the Bell Haven will get a new library is if the Main Library will also be rebuilt? Sneaky. If the city has to come up with at least 20 million for the main library, and the same amount will be required for the Bell Haven library, Menlo Park needs to cough up approximately 40 million, probably more. Add to that the salary increases for the staff. Why not start with the Bell Haven library and see how much money is left over.

I think improving the downtown area (Santa Cruz), which REALLY needs updating (it's the joke of the peninsula) needs to take priority over a new main library that really isn't needed.

Update the downtown and build a new library in Bell Haven. Make some improvements to the main library but don't rebuild.

Has anyone asked Arrillaga if he would contribute the money if the Library is not named after him?

A simple yes or no question.


Or change the city name from Menlo Park to the city of Arrillaga

I appreciate the efforts of all who work to improve our city, as the friends of the library clearly have. But I agree with Judy’s comment. As lovely as a brand new library might be, we simply have much higher priorities right now for our city, especially revitalizing downtown and improving bike and pedestrian infrastructure and safe routes to school. Our current library feels welcoming, spacious and adequate.

I wonder if Mr. Arrillaga would be willing to help fund an underground parking structure with a lovely park on top (see examples on Stanford’s campus), which would unlock much needed improvements to our downtown and bring the added benefit of public space proximate to downtown.

Unfortunately, this is simply not the right project at this time. And I hope Mr. Arrillaga will continue to be generous to our community and look for other ways to have a positive impact.

My prior comments on this ill-considered direction.

Web Link

It seems disingenuous of Ms. Corman to describe this plan as "building two libraries". As I see it, it involves the city committing $20-30 million to the main library, and a mere pittance ($140,000) to a Belle Haven library "upgrade". That's more like one library and 1/200th of a library. I don't live in Belle Haven, but I imagine to them it looks more like a slap in the face than a "new library".

The thing about the main library is that nobody is saying that the current building is inadequate for its main function: a library. All the talk about needed updating revolves around "community meeting spaces". So let's ask the question: why do new community meeting spaces need to be in the library? Why not leave the current library intact, and construct some dedicated meeting space elsewhere in the civic center complex? Surely this could be a smaller, less expensive structure (not requiring all those bookshelves, at least). It's as if you needed a new extra bedroom in your house, but instead of an addition you decided you had to tear it down to the ground and start from scratch. That's fine, if you're a billionaire, but this is everybody's money.

I think this whole situation needs to be further examined from basic principles, putting aside the Arrillaga offer, which is distorting everyone's attitudes. We should step back and ask the question: is a $10 million gift really a gift if it makes the city spend $20 million it wasn't planning to spend, on something that it wasn't planning to spend money on at all? Or is it more of a Trojan Horse?

Stu, I would love to read your post but I as a practice don't open web links, While I'm sure yours is safe and secure, I honestly don't know what I'm opening. Perhaps you could condense into a size we could all read.

Thanks,

As to Mr. Arrillaga's Library, I take offense at someone insisting their name be on a public building inperpituity in exchange for a donation which I'll take a guess and say it's probably tax deductible.

My suggestion is to do a modest remodel on the existing main library and a reasonably sized new Library in Belle Haven w/ city funds.

Let's Maintain a little dignity and call it The Menlo Park Library.

A few corrections to Mr. Helm’s comments: The $140,000 for the Belle Haven branch is not the cost of a new library. It is for immediate improvements to the space the Belle Haven branch shares in the Ravenswood school, including new paint, carpets, furniture and so forth. Building a library in Belle Haven is a multi-step, multi-year process that will include: forming a citizens advisory committee to support a study to determine what type of facility is needed; acquiring a site in the Belle Haven community, designing and building a structure that meets the needs of the neighborhood. The goal, in fact, is to have two 21st-century libraries serving their communities.

Why would Menlo Park spend $20M of taxpayer money PLUS up to $30M+ of Arrillaga's money to rebuild the MP library that was last remodeled in mid-'90s when many libraries are being eliminated (i.e. Meyer library at Stanford) as online and the internet/technology are making old libraries as we know them obsolete?! . . this sounds crazy to burden city taxpayers' with a massive debt obligation. Ask yourself: Is this really necessary in this time/day? It will undoubtedly cost residents/taxpayers something substantial in the short-/long-term. Is the money better spent in more pressing/urgent areas? Why can't Facebook which is building it's 3rd/4th campuses (with 5+ being planned out also) and clogs up our daily roads (Willow/Ravenswood/Middlefield/etc) pay for this rebuild? It seems not a lot to ask! It seems Facebook needs to step up to the plate!