The John Jermain Memorial Library, the public library in Sag Harbor, NY, donated to the community by Mrs. Russel Sage in 1910.

Over the intervening near century, Sag Harbor has made good use of her donation. The library has remained in its original home, adapting its programs and collection to the whims of various eras. Over the years, the inside of the building has seen a few changes — mainly the addition of many more “stacks” — the library term for bookshelves — to accommodate its growing collection. In addition a small renovation was undertaken about 15 years ago to allow the basement, formerly a storage area, to be used as a public space with a handicapped accessible entrance and bathroom. Minor repairs, and necessary replacements (the boiler, for instance) have also been undertaken, and paid for from the library’s operating budget, with monies provided by the taxpayers of the Sag Harbor school district, as are virtually all of the library’s operating expenses.

Other than the work on the basement, however, the taxpayers have not been asked to foot the bill for any refurbishment or expansion of the library building in its entire 99 years of existence. We’ve all been getting a free ride courtesy of Mrs. Sage’s commitment to high end materials and quality construction. She built it to last, and last it did…until now.

Members of the community who attended the public meeting hosted by the Library on the evening of Monday, April 20th, saw a presentation by Victor Conseco, president of Sandpebble Builders, the firm hired by the Library to do a cost analysis of its plan to refurbish and expand the building. As he spoke about the various factors that must be taken into consideration: restoration, code compliance and expansion, Mr. Conseco flipped through a depressing slide show of disrepair. From a decaying roof, to water-damaged plaster, from inadequate wiring to masonry in need of serious repointing, his presentation revealed the kind of wear and tear that is nearly invisible to regular users of the library, but jumps out at a fresh pair of eyes, especially ones trained to see these conditions.

So, as it turns out, while Mrs. Sage did a great service to many generations of Sag Harborites in providing us a library building that was seemingly capable of lasting forever, her meticulous attention to quality also misled us into believing we did not have to plan and pay for the care that any heavily used, aging structure requires. For generations, we’ve continued to rely on Mrs. Sage’s investment to pay dividends by providing us with a functional, usable library. As with any investment, though, the capital must be preserved. In this case the capital is the building, and it has been, if not squandered, at least diminished by our lack of attention.

No one can deny that Mrs. Sage’s investment in a library for Sag Harbor has paid a bountiful return on her investment. However, at this point in the building’s life a new injection of capital is required. It’s our bill to pay, and it’s long overdue.

That’s the way it goes. For every really good idea, there are countless others that are interesting, maybe even exciting, but that just don’t hold up to close scrutiny. Such is the case with the suggestion now being floated in various corners of Sag Harbor that the former Methodist Church building be somehow purchased with Community Preservation Fund (CPF) monies and then used by the John Jermain Memorial Library in some way to relieve that facility’s chronic shortage of space.

The whole concept seems amazingly serendipitous at first glance. The church is around the corner from the library. The church is empty and for sale. The library needs space and is planning on adding space in the near future. The church should be preserved. The CPF was established, in part to preserve historic structures. The Library needs to raise money through a bond issue in order to expand, and the voters have been reluctant to approve such an issue, but the CPF has money; that could be used to buy the church without raising taxes. The library is currently housed in an historic building. The church is also an historic building. It’s perfect!

Or is it?

As it turns out, there are a few problems with this plan, the biggest being that while CPF money can be used to preserve historic structures, that is the limit of what it can be used for with regard to buildings. It cannot, say, be used to adapt historic structures to make them suitable for new uses. Who says so? Mary Wilson, Community Preservation Manager for Southampton Town says so.

Then there is the problem of the church’s suitability for use as a library. Not so suitable as it turns out. The church is in serious disrepair, which is why the Methodist congregation had to leave…and they were just looking at the cost of repairing the existing structure. The library, however, would be looking at a change of use, which would mean not just repairs, but also bringing the building up to current code standards for public spaces. This would be hugely expensive, more expensive, in fact then just building a new building on the piece of property that the library owns down by Mashashimuet Park. Who says this would be more expensive? The library’s architect for one. The library’s previous architect and construction manager said the same thing. Rehabilitation and restoration of historic structures for use by the public is always more expensive than new construction.

Those are two very major issues. Other issues include the fact that the church is a wood-frame structure which raises fire-safety concerns, as well as concerns about the ability of the building’s support structure to bear the weight of the library’s book stacks. Oh, and parking. The current library has none, which is a problem. The church has a few parking spaces, but not nearly enough to address the library’s parking issues. Finally, it should be pointed out that the church’s interior configuration is very unique, spread over several levels that intersect in unusual ways — ways which are not at all consistent with the needs of a library.

So, what we have is a lovely idea, which just doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. And, the truth is, it really didn’t take that much scrutiny to find some serious problems with this idea. More in-depth analysis will undoubtedly turn up more problems, but why bother? There are already enough serious issues to relegate this idea to the good-idea-gone-bad scrap pile. Our library provides many important services to the community. Its need for expanded facilities is serious and well-documented. Those charged with delivering library services to the community cannot afford the time or the expense of pursuing this idea any further. Many of us wish it would have been workable, but it’s not. Time to move on.

Many folks said no to the NYS Department of Transportation a few years ago when they proposed a roundabout at the wharf end of Main Street.

CONPOSH (Coalition of Neighborhoods for the Preservation Of Sag Harbor) and others said no to the expansion of 127 Main Street by its former owner, Jon Gruen.

The John Jermain Future Fund said no to the idea of a new library building near Mashashimuet Park.

The Sag Harbor CAC (Citizens Advisory Committee) — of which I am co-chair — tried to say no to the new Bayburger Restaurant opening soon on the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike.

More successfully, the CAC said no to the Reid brothers’ plans to expand their service station to include a full-service car wash, and large parking facility for the use of contractors working locally.

Many in the community, including columnist Tony Brandt and newspaper editor Rick Murphy, would very much like to say no the the Sag Harbor School District’s  budget.

The Water Mill CAC, and the Village of Southampton are attempting to say no to LIPA’s effort to run new power lines on immense 60′ metal poles through the Village and parts of Water Mill and Bridgehampton.

Neighbors tried to say no to Wolffer Vineyard’s effort to erect new workforce housing on Narrow Lane in Bridgehampton, adjacent to the vineyard.

Almost everyone on Long Island, except the mayor of Greenport, wants to say a loud no to Broadwater’s floating Liquid Natural Gas terminal proposed for Long Island Sound.

Many, many people, including County Executive Steve Levy as well as the Southampton Town Board, and East Hampton Village’s powers-that-be are vociferously saying no to any kind of hiring hall or worklink center for day laborers wherever they gather looking for work.

Some folks in Sag Harbor want to say no to the new condominiums proposed for the area at the foot of the North Haven Bridge where the Sag Harbor Professional Building now stands.

Back to Narrow Lane where (the same?) residents said no to a bike lane along their street.

Sag Harbor citizenry said a most definite no to the purchase of two properties adjacent to the High School by the school district.

Barnes and Noble in Bridgehampton? No.

Affordable housing Remsenberg/Speonk? No.

Anti-war protesters in Southampton’s Independence Day Parade? No. (Well maybe, now that the courts have spoken.)

How about expanding Sunrise Highway all the way to the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike so that then-Governor Hugh Carey could get to his summer home on Shelter Island more easily? No. (Alright, that was a really dumb idea.)

A nuclear reactor in Shoreham? No way. (Yeah, that one was pretty dumb too.)

I could go on. I seem to have an almost photographic memory for ideas and projects that were shot down by community activists and/or local government. Frankly, I was one of the community activists expressing my disapproval in many (but not all) of the aforementioned instances. While I don’t regret my involvement in those issues, the cumulative weight of all those “nos” has got me thinking that I’m really tired of saying no. I’ve reached the point where I just want to say YES to something. Yes, Yes and Yes. And I’m going to start right now.

I say yes to Mike and Pat Trunzo’s proposal to create a mixed-use affordable housing/office development on their property on the Turnpike.

Yes to Five Towns Rural Transits’ efforts to create a light-rail and bus network here on the East End.

Yes to a new and/or expanded Library, wherever it may be located.

Yes to the Sag Harbor Village zoning code overhaul, and the Mayor’s and Trustees’ efforts to create more opportunities for affordable housing in the village…and yes to accessory apartments.

Yes to cops and cones on County Road 39, whatever the hell it costs.

Yes to more bike lanes, sidewalks and safer routes for kids walking and biking to school.

And finally, yes to acknowledging our common humanity and kinship to each other; to treating all people with dignity and respect; and so, yes to providing safe places where people who want to do needed work can find the work they need to do to support themselves and their families.
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A few weeks ago I wrote that it is inevitable that people will remain ignorant of the facts about any particular issue until such time as the issue becomes relevant to their lives. Only then, will most people make the effort to learn what they need to know in order to make a decision about the topic at hand. I said then, and still maintain, that I understand this and am OK with it. Why then, you ask, am I carping about the fact that Ms. Dusky’s column was not based on the best information available? The simple answer is that there is a difference between an ill-informed citizen and an ill-informed newspaper columnist, even if her column is named The Citizen. A columnist simply must make the effort to know as much as possible about the issues on which she opines. In my opinion, Ms. Dusky failed that test.

But, as I freely admit, she’s one of many who haven’t made the effort to become acquainted with the whole story, so rather than attack her arguments, I think it would be more useful to run through the major issues surrounding the library’s expansion plans and see if we can’t make sense out of them. To keep this post to a manageable length, I’m only going to deal with the most important issues, and will try to boil down the arguments to their most important points.

Let’s start with the question, one building or two? I don’t think anyone who is being honest will dispute that it would be better if the library were housed in one building. It would be less expensive to build and maintain, and more convenient for both patrons and staff. There, that was simple, wasn’t it?

That brings up the next question: where should this building be located? Personally, I’m fairly neutral on this issue until I start to consider what’s actually possible. Is it possible to expand the library at its current location so that it not only conforms to all State and local regulations for libraries, but also meets the needs of the community (the entire community — which includes the whole school district) now and for the foreseeable future? The once-upon-a-time organization called the John Jermain Future Fund once commissioned a plan from an architect named Elizabeth Martin to prove that this could be done. In fact, the plan proved just the opposite, relying, as it did, on such trickery as book stacks on wheels and public spaces that did double duty as meeting rooms and reading rooms. Our library already employs both those tricks — book carts used as stacks, which are confusing, awkward and inconvenient, and programs that take place in the third-floor rotunda which is meant to house the stacks and be a quiet place for reading and study. Neither of these ideas work well now, why would we plan a library that relies on them in the future?  Worse, even with those tricks, her plan still called for a largish addition that would fill the open space behind the library. Given its size, this addition would have been plainly visible from all directions, dominating and detracting from the charm of the historic building.

Nevertheless, I’m not saying that it would be impossible to build an adequate addition at the current location, but it would require more land. Quite a bit more land if, say, we’re looking a hundred years into the future. In that case, the much discussed Morpurgo property alone would not be enough. I believe you could create an adequate library that would address the community’s needs into the 22nd Century if both properties immediately abutting the rear of the library were used. With that amount of space, an addition could be designed that was visually set off enough from the existing building that it neither dominated nor detracted from the original structure, while providing enough space to house whatever the library evolves into over the next century. It’s a great dream, but unfortunately, it will never happen, and you know why as well as I: the cost of purchasing the two properties would be prohibitive. That is, of course, if you could buy them. Unfortunately you can’t, because neither property owner wishes to sell. Endgame.

The Community Library Committee also mentioned that such a construction project would be disruptive to the neighborhood, and that the resulting larger and busier library would be inappropriate in a mainly residential area. No doubt, but those concerns are moot since we can’t even contemplate such a project, if we don’t have the land on which to build it.

Well then, why not just sell the old building and build a brand-spanking new library somewhere else, maybe down by the park? Once you’ve dispensed with the idea that the library can expand on its current site, then one would think moving would make perfect sense. As I stated earlier, a one-building solution would be both cheaper and more convenient for all. However, the observant Sag Hampton resident may have noticed over the last several years that there is a small but extremely vocal minority of (mostly) Village residents that are determined that the library shall remain in its historic home. Over the years they have offered many rationales for this, some quite loony — such as the idea that if the library moved 7/10ths of a mile down the block, that the entire business district would be abandoned by shoppers and turn into a ghost town a la Riverhead’s Main Street. But, to be fair, they have also put forth some reasonable arguments — reasonable enough that the Library’s Board of Trustees has decided that this group’s point of view cannot be dismissed.

And so, we come to the conundrum with which the Library, and the community it serves, is faced. We have a charming and historic building, which for a variety of reasons, simply cannot be expanded in such a way as to make economic or practical sense, and yet is so dear to many members of the community that it cannot simply be sold off, as prudent economics would dictate.

Under the circumstances, the Library Trustees have decided that splitting the library program between two buildings, old and new, is the only workable solution.

The community seems to be divided on this matter. As evidenced in Ms. Dusky’s recent opinion piece, there is a continuing belief in some parts of the community that in spite of more than five years of study by the Library Trustees, the Community Library Committee, and the Library Development Committee, they have all somehow overlooked an obvious, but unstated solution. Others seem to feel that if they just say it loudly enough and with enough frequency, that their personal idea of what should be done will carry the day, regardless of how myopic and self-serving that view may be. A third group seems to believe that there is some malevolent force at work, and that the Trustees are trying to “put one over” on the community in some way. Why the Trustees would do this, as none have a personal stake in the future of the library, other than as members of the library-using community, is left unsaid.

Happily, there is also an ever-growing group of citizens that have come to accept that while the two-building solution is not ideal, it is, in the end, the only solution that meets both the practical and political requirements of the community. I’m a card-carrying member of this group. While I don’t believe the two-building plan is the “best” solution
, I am completely convinced that it is the only one that addresses all the issues in some fashion. Yes, there are compromises, but conundrums and compromises always go hand-in-hand.
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Currently listening to: O Valencia! by the Decemberists

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Meanwhile, here’s the good:

1. Sag Harbor Mayor Greg Ferraris and Trustee Tiffany Scarlatto have been working diligently on a plan to encourage affordable workforce housing in the Village of Sag Harbor. They’ve recently shown a draft of the plan to the other Trustees, and the press. I’ve seen a copy of the document and I believe that it is well intentioned, well reasoned and has a good chance of actually achieving the results at which it is aiming. Three cheers for local leaders who are not afraid to tackle the tough issues.
2. The Planning Department of the Town of Southampton has agreed to undertake a study of the area along both sides of the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike between Sag Harbor Industries and the Village Line. They agreed to this study due to the sudden onslaught of development in this area, and the potential for a great deal more. If development is left unchecked, Sag Harbor could find itself with an unplanned, and unappealing commercial strip at the southern gateway to the village. Neither Mayor Ferraris nor Southampton Supervisor Heaney see this as a desirable outcome, and so both are committing some resources to a study that hopefully will result in somewhat less development in this area than would be allowed under current zoning.
3. The two “building” subcommittees of the John Jermain Memorial Library’s Library Development Committee (LDC) met with Southampton Public Transportation and Safety Director Tom Neely in a proactive attempt to tackle potential problems related to traffic, parking, safety, pedestrian and bicycle access and mass transit at the proposed site of the new library building at Mashashimuet Park. Mr. Neely was quick to point out that the library location is at the southern gateway to Sag Harbor (yes, we’re talking about the same gateway), and that appropriate development of gateways between less developed and more developed areas is one of the key concepts of the recently completed SEEDS (Sustainable East End Development Strategies) study. As such, he reasoned, State and or other grant monies ought to be available for studies of and subsequent improvements to the gateway area. He’s going to take it up with the East End Transportation Council, which is anxious to put the SEEDS recommendations to the test. This could be a win-win for the library, the park, Sag Harbor and the entire East End.
4. Speaking of the library, the work of the LDC continues to move ahead with due deliberation. An RFP (Request for Proposal) has been written by the multi-talented Alison Cornish (with help from others), to enable the Library Trustees to choose an architect specializing in preservation and restoration of historic buildings. This architect will be charged with coming up with a plan that will encompass both the restoration of the library’s existing building, and the updating of its systems, allowing it to function as both a community centerpiece and a usable public building well into the future.
5. The intrepid Bryan Boyhan, editor and publisher of the Sag Harbor Express has made it his business to ensure that Sag Harbor has a proper 300th anniversary celebration in 2007. (I know the date is in dispute; get over it) He’s organized  a large committee consisting of representatives from almost all of Sag Harbor’s community organizations, and he’s pushing them mercilessly to put together a five-month long program of events, exhibits and performances commemorating Sag Harbor’s multi-faceted history. If all goes as planned, 2007 will be a fun year indeed, for residents and visitors alike.
6. The holiday light-up on Main Street looks better than ever this year. (Sorry, my camera’s broken, or there’d be a photo.)

So, that’s the list, or most of it. I’m sure there’s more, but this post is getting rather lengthy, so I’ll stop for now. I’m feeling better anyway. It’s always good to remember some of the things we have to be thankful for. The feelings of good cheer thus engendered should carry me through the holidays. Time enough then to think about why things may not all be quite so rosy as they at first seem.

In the meantime, have a very happy and safe holiday season!

If they hadn’t before, the LDC and the Trustees certainly realize now that they have a way to go before they overcome the missteps that led up to the first referendum. That left a bad taste in the mouths of many residents who felt the Trustees were trying to force a badly conceived plan down the community’s throat. This time around, though, it is obvious that the Trustees and the LDC are determined to do it right. The moderators for tonight’s meeting, Fred Stelle and Alison Cornish, were models of restraint and receptivity, even in the face of what at times seemed like pointless provocation. They appeared determined to make sure that everyone in the community has a chance to have his or her say during the development of the new plan.

So, while everyone who bothers to turn out for even one meeting will be heard, that does not mean that every idea that is voiced can be accommodated in the final plan. Ultimately, the LDC and the Trustees will have to decide what makes sense, and what doesn’t; what fits, and what’s out of place; what serves the greatest good, and what is window dressing. It is my hope that by the time we have reached the last of the twelve public meetings, that virtually everyone will have found their way to the same destination. People of good faith, working together in an open-minded way, can do that. We just have to remember that not everyone will get everything they want. In fact, probably no one will get everything they want. It’s not really about what any one person or group of people want anyway. It’s about the community getting the library it deserves. Hopefully, that’s the destination at which we will all arrive together.

The LDC is made up of some of the former CLC members (all were invited, but some chose not to participate), the Library Trustees and a few other community members who were not on the original committee. By the way, all these people — the Trustees, the CLC members and the LDC members — are volunteers. Since then, the LDC has been busily at work trying to fill in the details of the plan in a way that will satisfy the needs of a broad cross section of the community. All their meetings are open to the public. In addition, they are holding a series of  meetings specifically to keep the public informed about the progress they’re making and the avenues they’re pursuing. They’re also looking for feedback from anyone and everyone.

Nevertheless, some members of the LDC have a recurring nightmare. They worry that despite their best efforts to keep the public informed and to solicit feedback, ideas and suggestions from the community, a large number of people will not come to any meetings, read any literature, offer any feedback, or voice any objections. But, when it comes time to put the plan to a vote again, these folks will vote no because their objections have not been addressed, nor their ideas incorporated in the final design.

In his novel of the same name, Joseph Heller called this nightmare Catch-22, a problem that can only be solved if the problem is solved. In other words, you can’t get there from here.

The LDC wants Sag Harbor to have the library that Sag Harbor wants and needs, but they’ll only know what that library looks like if people tell them. Your job is to speak up now. By the time we get to voting it will be too late. At that point, if you haven’t made your thoughts known, you’ll only have one option: voting against a plan you don’t like. So, be a local hero. Come to one of the LDC’s feedback sessions. Write a letter. Put a comment on the CLC Report website mentioned above. Make a phone call. It will only take an hour of your time, but will validate the countless hours that the volunteers on the CLC, LDC and Library Board have put into creating a library the whole community can embrace.

In this letter, Ms. Leigh-Hunt, based on a rumor she heard from a “reliable source,” casts aside all evidence to the contrary and publicly calls her neighbors who volunteer as Trustees of the John Jermain Library, liars. Of course, she has a “right” to do this if she wishes, but in my book, it’s just bad behavior and should be censured (not censored) by those of us who still think civility is important. (An aside: this rudeness appearing in the Express is particularly ironic in light of Phil Keith’s column, Core Values, appearing this week, and Anthony Brandt’s column on civility (not currently available online) which appeared last week.)

I don’t wish to debate the absurd assumption that Ms. Leigh-Hunt makes about the intentions of the Library’s Trustees. It’s ridiculous on its face. However, I would like to pose the following questions to Ms. Leigh-Hunt:

1. Which of your neighbors serving on the board of trustees do you think is lying to you? Would you stand up in a board meeting face to face with the trustees and say to one or all of them “You are a liar?”
2. Can you back up your accusation with facts, rather than rumor and innuendo?
3. If one or more of the Trustees are lying, what is their reason for doing so? In most situations where public figures find it necessary to lie to the public, you can figure out why they’re lying by “following the money.” Somewhere, someone’s got something to gain by lying. Where’s the money in this case? The Library Trustees, as you well know, are volunteers with no personal financial stake at risk, and no potential personal gain possible from an expanded library. Why would they find it necessary to lie about their intentions vis a vis the library building?
4. Who is your “reliable source?” If this source has so much reliable information, why isn’t he or she sharing it with the public? I know it’s hard to believe, but you were manipulated by someone spreading yet another ridiculous rumor about the Library’s expansion plans. What’s this one, number 1,438? Wise up, Ms. Leigh-Hunt. Your source knew that by providing you with his bit of misinformation, you’d rear up like the sword of righteousness and do exactly what you did; something he or she did not have the courage to do for him or herself.

I could go on with this, but I know it won’t make any difference. As Phil Keith pointed out in his column in the Express, by the time one is an adult it’s too late to learn a core value like civility. Let me just say this as a reminder to all of you who feel the call to righteousness burning within: you are not exempt from civil behavior just because you think you’re right.

Which I don’t. I believe libraries matter, but don’t worry, I’m not going to preach at you. Here’s the thing, though, if you also believe that libraries matter, it’s now time to start getting involved. Here are two very important things you can do that are virtually painless.

1. The first one is a two-parter:
• attend the Meet the Candidates Night Monday, September 11^th at 7:00 p.m. (6:30 if you also want to hear about next year’s library budget), in the auditorium at Pierson High School* and then
• vote in the Library Trustee Election on Tuesday, September 19^th anytime between 9:00 a.m. and to 8:00 p.m. at the Library.
2. The second thing you can do is to support the restoration of the 96-year old John Jermain building that is the current home of the library. You can do this very easily by buying a ticket or two for the “One For the Books,” fundraiser which will entitle you to pick an author you like and have dinner in a private home thrown by and in the company of other people who also like that author. That’s happening on October 14^th and 21^st. Tickets cost $100.00; eighty dollars of which will be used to help refurbish the Library’s historic home. Invitations can be picked up at either of the library’s circulation desks, or you may have even received one in mail. More details are available by clicking here.

(If you’d like to catch up on what’s been going on with regard to the library expansion, you can read the full report of the Community Library Committee by clicking here.)

* If you do go to the Meet the Candidates Night, please make sure that each candidate is asked if they will support the conclusions and recommendations of the Community Library Committee. At this late date, anyone who is not prepared to support those recommendations (which have already been accepted by the Library Board), and work for their implementation, should not be elected as a trustee. That battle has already been fought. It’s over. What the community needs now are trustees who are willing to work hard to make the CLC’s recommendations a reality.

The extremely well conceived section on “Site Access and Traffic Calming” directly refers to Ken’s efforts to move this program forward, in addition to putting forward a few ideas of its own. Today I found a comment in that section by Sag Harborite Jonas Hagen who has apparently put in some time reading the report. In a nutshell, he praised the traffic calming ideas put forth by the committee, and suggests that those ideas get implemented immediately. Reading his comment, I had one of those moments where you just marvel at how clearly the path is marked once someone shows it to you. Jonas, I agree, and I know Ken Dorph would too. Rather than reiterate all the points the CLC makes, I’m giving you a link to the orignal. Just click here. Jonas’ comment is down at the bottom of the page.

These are really sound ideas, in line with similar ideas previously put forth by CONPOSH, (Coalition of Neighborhoods for the Preservation of Sag Harbor), The EETC (East End Transportation Council),
the NYS Department of Transportation, and the Safe Routes to School Program, mentioned above. There’s absolutely no need to wait for work to commence on the library (old or new) before making it safer to walk, drive and bike in our community.

Why isn’t there a sidewalk along the Main Street side of Mashashimuet Park? Why do the Village and Park Board still allow that dangerous head-in parking next to the children’s playground? Why aren’t there more crosswalks, and “yield to pedestrian” signs in the historic triangle area? That area also cries out for such traffic calming devices as bump-outs, designated parking spots, and better road striping. Why not a bike lane down Main Street that goes right into and through Mashashimuet Park connecting the old library and the new one? There’s absolutely no reason why work can’t begin on some or all of these projects right now.

By the way, Jonas, you’re wrong about the library. Let’s talk.