Controversy Continues Over Pleasant Hill Library Project

PLEASANT HILL, CA — Contra Costa County District IV Supervisor Karen Mitchoff, speaking at a Monday evening meeting of the Pleasant Hill City Council, expressed regret that some constituents felt plans to temporarily close and replace the city's library were inadequately publicized, but reiterated her fiduciary responsibility to the county at large.

"As you know, there (have) been a few concerns," Mitchoff said, responding to criticism over one aspect of the library project calling for closing the current library roughly 18 months before opening the new one.

The county owns the property at 1750 Oak Park Blvd., and Mitchoff said that asset's "best and highest use" would be to put it on the market.

"Real estate prices are slowing down in the Bay Area, and in order to maximize the taxpayer asset that belongs to us .... We're hoping to sell the land for between $10 and $15 million dollars," Mitchoff said.

"We are planning on closing the library in August," she added. "We hope to have the property on the market this fall."

Mitchoff pointed out that development plans call for adding 34 new residences to the region's housing stock.

"We're getting a lot of pressure from Sacramento on housing, granted the housing there will not be what you would consider affordable," Mitchoff said.

City and county officials plan to build a new library on adjacent land, with an anticipated opening in spring 2021. A temporary library with a reduced inventory will be opened at the Pleasant Hill Senior Center, roughly 1.5 miles away at 233 Gregory Lane.

This aspect of the project has also faced criticism, with questions being raised about how that distance could limit access to current users like students from a nearby school.

Mitchoff was followed by another presentation on plans for the library, this time from project designers Bohlin Cywinski Jackson.

Current mockups include designated areas for youth collections, early literacy and after school hangouts. They also include a secure outdoor area for louder activities and programming involving live animals, like petting goats.

Mitchoff's comments and the presentation by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson were items on the agenda. Council members made no motion and there was no vote to be recorded on the matter.

During public comment, Karen Yapp argued that Mitchoff is predicting a recession, but that land "more than likely would be worth more in two years" when the new library opens.

"The decision to close our library comes down to money and only money," Yapp said. "The county doesn't want to wait two years ... they want to cash out now."

She asked city officials to negotiate a way to keep the current library open until the new one is finished.

Pleasant Hill resident Dick Offerman also asked city officials to keep the old facility open until the new one is complete. He criticized Mitchoff, as he did last week at a meeting of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, over what he described as "a complete lack of public discussion" on this matter until recent weeks.

Mitchoff had addressed that point during her appearance earlier in the meeting, acknowledging that communications had broken down somewhere.

"Many of us thought the word was out," Mitchoff said, who represents Pleasant Hill at the county level.

She has invited members of the public with concerns about the library project to contact her office or make an appointment. The supervisor's staff can be reached by phone at 925-521-7100.

RELATED COVERAGE:

• New Pleasant Hill Library: Council To See Early Design Images
• Plans To Close Pleasant Hill Library Lead To Controversy

Bay City News Service