Westport Library Trustees concerned about parking changes in new school site plan

WESTPORT -- The new grades 5 through 12 school campus on Old County Road will lead to some changes on site, including the movement of library parking.

That issue has been a sore point for Library Trustees and some Westport Free Public Library patrons -- so much so that the word “litigation” was mentioned at a joint meeting earlier this month between the School Building Committee and Library Trustees.

Since that meeting, a tour of the site was held last week between members of both groups, and it appears library officials will be accepting the design plans unveiled by project architect Jonathan Levi, according to SBC Chairwoman Dianne Baron.

Baron said that library officials plan to request some conditions to be met and will forward those conditions to SBC officials in time for the Aug. 22 meeting.

Trustees Chairwoman Lois Spirlet confirmed that trustees have accepted one of the four “design development” parking plans, devised by project architect Jonathan Levi.

Spirlet mentioned that trustees would rather maintain the current library parking and lot, but in the spirit of compromise, the trustees have accepted one of the plans.

“It has been difficult for us, no matter which way you look at it. Adjustments have to be made. As a board, we feel we are losing something. In our hearts, and in our heads, we are compromising quite a bit,” Spirlet said.

The library, though town-owned and separate from the school district, is on the same campus as the dormant middle school, as well as the elementary school. The larger footprint of the proposed 5 through 12 school -- scheduled to open in 2021 -- will trigger some of these changes, including the proposed move of the privately owned tennis courts on site.

Spirlet said one of the conditions that trustees will stress will be to include a pedestrian walkway from the school site to the library. Spirlet mentioned that some students will visit the library after school and should have a safe access way. She also mentioned that many of the library’s patrons include people over 55 and parents young children under age 5, which leads to more safety concerns.

Spirlet mentioned that not all patrons have the more modern vehicles with rear, reverse cameras, making it vital to add a pedestrian walkway.

Levi and others stressed that the new design will maintain parking spots and be just as convenient for library patrons, with only a slight shift in parking, along the southwest parking areas.

However, some trustees mentioned that the SBC had no authority to move parking without a formal vote from trustees. SBC members have contended that they were under the impression that trustees were kept abreast on all developments.

“What authority does the school committee have to take any of our property,” Library Trustee member Paul Cabral said at the Aug. 2 meeting. “If you want to approach it from the point of negotiation that would be better.”

Baron exchanged words with Cabral,and Baron urged trustee members not to mention the word “litigation.” Baron said that both sides should be able to finalize an agreement.

SBC member Antone Vieira Jr. apologized to the trustees, and contended that the SBC did not handle the situation correctly. Vieira conceded that the SBC should have included library officials on any alteration plans.

“We messed up as a School Building Committee,” Vieira said. “I am saying ‘please consider the new design; in the long run there is an appeal to what we have here.'”

Vieira called it a safer traffic pattern.

Of the conflict between the two boards, he added, “Let’s not go down a road that could be detrimental to the town.”

Levi contended that the design will allow for easier travel around a center island and virtually the same walking distance

Some claimed that there has been an overall lack of transparency about design plans and other details of the project.

Abutter Cynthia Anderson made that case at the Aug. 2 meeting, and mentioned issues with stormwater management and how some project details were not well publicized.

“It’s like you have the whole plans for the tennis courts, wells and parking lot,” Anderson told the SBC. “You are doing it in phases or at closed meetings.

“You think you can just make the plans and bulldoze over us.

Lawrence Holsworth, a district parent, at the Aug. 2 meeting took issue with some of these claims.

Holsworth said that with the use of social media, televised meetings and other sources, the SBC has been more than transparent.

“I am astounded at the accusations of secrecy and closed meetings -- and yes there have been multiple plans. I remembered one meeting in which there were 18 different site plans. ... I would argue that some people need to get off their backsides and attend meetings so they can see what is going on.”