Library spells out plans for expansion

The Flathead County Library wants to expand and move its main operation from its present location.

That's fine with the Kalispell City Council, as long as the main operation remains in central Kalispell.

Library Director Kim Crowley briefed the council Monday on what the library - which is a Flathead County operation - wants to do.

The library conducted a study in 2003 that concluded:

-The 29,250-square-foot main Kalispell building should be 52,350 square feet through at least 2025.

-The 1,440-square-foot Bigfork branch should be 3,000 square feet.

-The 4,723-square-foot Columbia Falls branch should be 7,800 square feet.

-The 9,678-square-foot Whitefish branch should be 10,700 square feet.

-The 800-square-foot Marion branch is of adequate size.

-A 4,800-square-foot branch should be set up in the Somers and Lakeside area. Right now, any expansion and moving plans are in the initial brainstorming stages, Crowley said.

A major driving force to expand and move the main library is that it serves between 600 and 700 people a day and has four parking spaces, all on the street.

The library has not nailed down a new location. It also has not drawn up architectural plans, a timetable or a budget for a new building. Financing likely would be through a bond, sent to a public referendum.

People mentioned potential new locations at Linderman School or in the Flathead Valley Community College-Hutton Plaza area.

Council members preferred a downtown location - contending that central Kalispell and the library boost each other's overall use.

Crowley said an expanded main library would allow more storytelling programs for young children, more computer terminals available to the public, a history room, and a decrease in the need to weed out books to make room for newer ones.

Also on Monday, the council:

-Appeared to lean toward installing some type of payment-in-lieu -of taxes assessments on new downtown construction to finance new parking spaces. The council wants its staff and the city Parking Commission to study the issue more.

-Indicated it might consider a swap of city land along downtown's Third Street with Valley Bank. The bank proposed the swap to facilitate its own expansion plans while providing extra parking space to the city. Council members want to talk with bank officials about its proposal. The council does not want city funds used to demolish current bank structures as part of the proposed swap.

-Discussed - without reaching any conclusions - what might be done to improve a current overloaded traffic situation on narrow Northern Lights Boulevard. It did note that the school district's traffic-flow plans for that neighborhood's middle school stresses safety for children - an approach that calls for slow traffic.