Conceptual Re-use Plan for Former Library�pW N OR
gas GAioS COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
DATE: AUGUST 30, 2012
TO: MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
FROM: GREG LARSON, TOWN MANAGER
MEETING DATE: 09 -04 -12
ITEM NO:
SUBJECT: DIRECTION REGARDING CONCEPTUAL RE -USE PLAN FOR THE TOWN-
OWNED FORMER LIBRARY FACILITY
RECOMMENDATION:
Provide direction regarding alternative conceptual re -use plans for the Town -owned former library.
BACKGROUND:
On May 14, 2012, the Town Council held a Study Session to discuss and provide direction regarding
proposals for the re -use of the former library facility. The Town had received a total of seven proposals
from four parties for re -use of the space. Interested parties included the Los Gatos Saratoga High
School District, the Museums of Los Gatos, the Friends of the Library, and the Town itself. The
Council directed staff to work with the Museums and the Friends to arrive at a mutually- acceptable
shared use of the space for an art museum, a history museum and a Friends used bookstore. The
Council also requested the consideration of multi -use space in the upstairs and downstairs, and
consideration of Town office space if necessary. This staff report presents the outcome of discussions
with the Museums and the Friends, and seeks Council direction on next steps.
DISCUSSION:
The Process
Following the May Study Session, staff worked with two representatives each from the Museums and
the Friends to develop a proposal for the shared use of the former library space. Over the course of five
meetings, the group discussed each party's interests and needs, and potential options for addressing
them. Staff provided information as needed regarding building requirements related to the HVAC
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PREPARED BY: PAMELA JACOBS
ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGER
Reviewed by: Assistant Town Manager Town Attorney -5 -, ance
N:\Iv MManagement Stafi\PJacobs \Special Projects \Library Re- Use \9 4-12 Staff Report.doc
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MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
SUBJECT: DIRECTION REGARDING CONCEPTUAL RE -USE PLAN FOR THE TOWN -
OWNED FORMER LIBRARY FACILITY
AUGUST 30, 2012
system, restrooms, fire safety, security, and other issues. The Town engaged Terry Martin Architects to
draft the conceptual plans to be considered by the Council.
The Proposed Conceptual Plans
At the Study Session, Council will consider conceptual plans for the upstairs and downstairs of the
former library (Attachment 1). The plans accommodate the shared use of the facility by the Museum
and the Friends, and one alternative accommodates the need for limited Town office space in the
downstairs. The plans include the following features:
Upstairs
• Designation of the former Children's Room as a shared retail space for a combination Friends
used book store and Museum store, managed by the Friends. Details regarding the operation of
the shared space will be worked out between the organizations, and will be incorporated in a
formal agreement.
• Storage for Friends located within the retail area.
• Use of the upstairs area for art exhibitions, and public lounge space.
• Use of the north side outdoor entry area as a limited access sculpture garden (access through the
museum).
• Expansion of a single -use ADA- accessible restroom in the retail area.
• Addition of men's and women's restrooms serving the art museum.
Downstairs Option 1
• Use of the main downstairs area for history exhibits.
• Storage for the Museum.
• Potential use of a portion of storage area for Museum workshop.
■ Catering kitchen for the Museum.
■ Staff offices for the Museum.
■ Educational lab for the Museum.
■ Two office spaces for Town staff.
■ Small shared conference room for Town and Museum.
■ Expansion of men's and women's restrooms serving the history exhibit area.
Downstairs Option 2
All of the above, with the exception of a larger conference room in place of Town offices.
No provisions have yet been made in the proposed floor plans for multi -use public or Town space, with
the exception of the conference room. In addition to the uses included on the floor plans, the Museum is
requesting to use the Town Council Chambers for its lecture series. Lectures would occur in the evening
and be subject to scheduling limitations of the Town's public meetings, similar to the Friends prior use
of the Chambers.
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MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
SUBJECT: DIRECTION REGARDING CONCEPTUAL RE -USE PLAN FOR THE TOWN -
OWNED FORMER LIBRARY FACILITY
AUGUST 30, 2012
The proposed floor plans are conceptual at this point, and would require further refinement as the project
moves forward. In addition, minor revisions may be made as the plans evolve. Staff is seeking Council
feedback on the general layout and use of the space.
Areas of Compromise
Over the course of discussions, both organizations compromised with regard to their interests and
desires for use of the space. Following are the compromises made by each organization:
Museum Compromises
• Relocated the History Museum exhibition space from the desired location in the old children's
library to the downstairs, which is a less desirable space due to the low ceiling.
• Allocating downstairs space for History exhibits removed the opportunity for lectures and large
gatherings. (The Museum requests to use the Council Chambers for this purpose, noting that the
Chambers are removed from the Museum and will be subject to access limitations.)
• Agreed to accept less square footage in the rear of the upstairs "Museum" space for the fiill
restrooms rather than locating these in the retail space.
• Accepted less square footage in the downstairs to accommodate the restroom expansion required
by building codes, resulting in loss of space for a workshop and /or a larger education lab.
• Agreed to share retail space /operations with the Friends.
Friends Compromises
• Agreed to relocate storage from the downstairs to within the retail area, resulting in half the
square footage requested to store and inventory books and reducing the space available for retail
operations.
• Accepted expansion of single -use restroom within retail area, reducing space available for retail
operations.
• Accepted that the door leading to the parking lot off Pageant Way could be only an emergency
exit for customers, limiting direct patron access from the west.
• Agreed to sell Museum merchandise and to share visibility in the front window display, reducing
a percentage of the retail space for use by the Friends.
Town Needs
As presented in the Town's proposal, the Town organization needs additional space to provide
municipal services. The minimum space needed is to accommodate the Town's Human Resource
department, comprised of three staff and a conference room. This operation currently occupies 800
square feet in the Adult Recreation Center (ARC), which is sub - leased from the Town's tenant, Los
Gatos Saratoga Recreation (LGS), at a cost of approximately $8,400 per year (at the current rate of .35
of Fair Market Value), but rising to $10,00 next year.
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MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
SUBJECT: DIRECTION REGARDING CONCEPTUAL RE -USE PLAN FOR THE TOWN -
OWNED FORMER LIBRARY FACILITY
AUGUST 30, 2012
The lease agreement with LGS calls for the Town to vacate the sub- leased space by December 31, 2013
to allow LGS to program the space for recreational and senior activities. In a preliminary conversation,
the Interim Executive Director indicated that LGS would not be interested in extending the sub -lease as
the organization needs additional space for programming.
The HR function is ideally located in a location that is somewhat separated, yet accessible, from the rest
of the organization to afford employees confidentiality in seeking HR assistance. In addition, HR space
needs to include private offices and /or space for confidential conversations, as well as space for
personnel records and ideally for testing. Before being located in the ARC, the HR department was
located in one of the Town -owned houses that were demolished for construction of the new library.
Option l for the use of the downstairs of the former library includes approximately 450 square feet of
space for two small offices and a small conference room to accommodate the HR department. While
this is a little more than half the space currently allocated for this function, staff wanted to minimize the
impact on the space desired by the Museum and would make this limited space work for the department.
The location off the Council lobby is suitable for confidential access. The small size of the conference
room would require the use of other space within the Civic Center complex for testing of larger
applicants, potentially "renting" a conference room in the ARC for this purpose or using the meeting
room in the Police Operations Building if necessary. The Museum could also use the small conference
room if needed.
Staff has explored the availability of other space within Town Hall for the HR function, and cannot
identify other suitable space. Attachment 2 is the floor plans for the Town Hall facility, showing the
current use of space (with the exception of the former library). Staff is currently experiencing space
constraints for Community Development, Finance, and on -site storage needs. The police functions that
remained at headquarters when operations moved to the Police Operations Building fully occupy the
police "pod," as some operations and storage were previously in two houses owned by the Town that
were demolished to make room for the new library. In addition to the lack of space, security issues in
the police area and the need for confidential access for employees limit the suitability of locating HR in
the police pod.
While renegotiating the lease with LGS is a possibility, this would result in an ongoing cost to the Town
of $10,000 next year, increasing over time to $24,000, and potentially in less revenue for the Town if the
current terms are reduced. Consequently, staff recommends that space be allocated in the former library
for the HR department as depicted on Option 1. If the Council or community requests expansion of
Town services in the future, future Councils may need to renegotiate the leases on any of the Town
facilities to enable the provision of municipal services as there is limited space to accommodate growth.
Next Steps
Following approval for the conceptual re -use of the former library, considerable work is needed to move
the project forward. Key steps include: finalizing the design and construction drawings, developing cost
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MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
SUBJECT: DIRECTION REGARDING CONCEPTUAL RE -USE PLAN FOR THE TOWN -
OWNED FORMER LIBRARY FACILITY
AUGUST 30, 2012
estimates; obtaining a Conditional Use Permit for the Museum (discussed below); negotiating leases
with the Museum and the Friends; and determining a funding plan for the capital improvements.
Conditional Use Permit /Lease Agreements
Per the Los Gatos zoning code, the Museum will need a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to operate a
museum on the Civic Center campus, which will be considered by the Planning Commission. A CUP is
not required for the shared retail operation, as retail is a permitted use under the code. Staff has
determined that any issues regarding parking and traffic can be addressed through the CUP. Other
issues may be addressed through the CUP process or through lease agreements with both the Museum
and the Friends.
Issues to be addressed in the Museum CUP and /or lease include, but may not be limited to: hours of
operation; parking; school/bus visits; employee parking; signage; outdoor space use; special events;
alcohol service; security; and use of Council Chambers. Some of these items will also be addressed in a
lease with the Friends. For both organizations, any rent requirements will be addressed through lease
agreements.
Capital Improvements Funding
As discussed at the May 14 Council Study Session and the prior Council meeting on March 15, the re-
use of the former library will require expansions of the restrooms (as depicted on the conceptual plans)
and a new HVAC system. Other capital improvements that may be needed include Council Chambers
accessibility, ADA ramps from the west side parking lot, and parking lot reconfiguration. In addition,
the proposed plans will require removal and installation of walls, as well as other tenant improvements
desired by the organizations.
A funding plan for the major capital improvements will be included in the Council's Capital
Infrastructure Study Session planned for December of this year, at which Council will identify funding
priorities. It is anticipated that the organizations will be responsible for their respective tenant
improvements, and may need to share in the cost of the required capital improvements (such as HVAC,
restrooms).
CONCLUSION:
The proposed plans reflect the outcome of several months of discussions between the Museum, Friends,
and the Town. With the exception of allocating space for Town offices, the plans represent a
compromise agreement among the parties. Following staff presentation of this staff report, each
organization will have the opportunity to address the Council regarding their vision for their operations.
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MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
SUBJECT: DIRECTION REGARDING CONCEPTUAL RE -USE PLAN FOR THE TOWN -
OWNED FORMER LIBRARY FACILITY
AUGUST 30, 2012
Staff is seeking. Council direction on the following:
Conceptual plans
• Alternative with or without Town office space
• Comments on allocation/use of other spaces
Any conditions to consider in the CUP
The Friends would like the Council to consider permitting the bookstore to expand operating
hours beyond Sundays until construction activity begins (see Attachment 3, letter of support).
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
Direction regarding the conceptual plans is not a project defined under CEQA, and no further action is
required at this time.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Civic Center Re -Use Project in the proposed FY 2012/13 — 2015/16 Capital Improvement Program
identifies funding of approximately $1.9 million, including approximately $60,000 from CDBG for
ADA purposes. At this time, it is unlikely that these funds will be available for this project due to the
dissolution of the Redevelopment Agency, with the exception of the ADA funds which are already
available and $100,000 of the GFAR funds.
The Facilities budget includes "seed funds" of $30,000 for the replacement of the air handling system.
This system is likely to cost between $100,000 and $130,000. A rough estimate for the restroom
expansions is $150,000. Estimates are not available for Council Chambers accessibility improvements,
ADA ramps from the west side parking lot, parking lot reconfiguration walls and tenant improvements.
Attachments:
1. Conceptual Plans for Re -Use of the Former Library (2 alternatives)
2. Floor Plans for Town Hall
3. 7 -24 -12 letter from resident regarding Friends bookstore