GREENFIELD — The city’s Human Rights Commission will consider whether it wants to endorse building a new public library.
Commissioner Lewis Metaxas has put forward a resolution to be discussed at the group’s next meeting. The commission’s regularly scheduled meeting Monday was postponed because a lack of quorum, but Metaxas hopes the group can meet before the March 20 City Council meeting.
Metaxas says he sees a new public library as an issue of accessibility and therefore one that falls under the purview of human rights.
The proposed resolution would be considered just two weeks prior to when the Greenfield City Council will likely vote on whether it wants to approve spending for a new $19.5 million 26,800-square foot public library.
The new library could directly cost the taxpayer $10.1 million with the help of a $9.4 million grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners; the council needs to approve a new library no later than April 30 to secure the state money.
The current library, housed in a 15,300-square-foot 1797 home on the National Register of Historic Places, is riddled with extensive accessibility issues that could cost millions to bring it up to code. Architects working with the library estimate costs in the ballpark of $7 million to bring the current library into compliance.
“It’s a very reasonable, affordable proposal and it’s probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us,” Metaxas said. “Certainly a once-in-a-generation opportunity for a community.”
Metaxas said he hopes that if the commission were to endorse the resolution, that this could bring an elevated attention to councilors on the issue of accessibility.
“If this causes a little more thought given to the issue of disability access,” Metaxas said, “this is probably something that I’m hoping will be a large part of their deliberation when the time comes.”
You can reach Joshua Solomon at:
jsolomon@recorder.com
413-772-0261, ext. 264