The public will get to weigh in on the inside of the new Fitchburg Public Library on Dec. 2.
Architects from Engberg Anderson will hold two input sessions that night, looking for opinions on the interior design. Previous sessions in September and October discussed the exterior design, which has been mostly finalized.
The first of next week's two sessions is at 6 p.m. at Fire Station No. 2 on King James Way. The second is at 8 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall.
Architects gave updates on the design process this week to the Common Council and last week to the Plan Commission and Library Board, and the final exterior design is being posted in the next few days on the city's Web site.
Architect Alex Ramsey said Engberg Anderson has had to balancing many aspects, including a difficult, highly sloped construction site, an ambitious program and high-quality building considerations.
"We want a building that's obviously going to last, so it has to have a certain amount of performance, and at the same time it has to have a certain kind of aesthetic that's suitable to the community," she said.
Features being considered include an underground parking garage that will be accessed off of Research Park Drive and a drive-through book drop that is accessed from the driveway to City Hall off of Lacy Road, Ramsey said.
She said the library will be designed so the meeting room on the second floor will be accessible after hours while keeping the library itself secure. It will have two entrances, including one from the back, which will be more accessible and one off the corner of Research Park Drive and Lacy Road.
Ramsey said the plaza that faces the two main streets will be a challenge given constraints of the $14 million budget.
"As we got the budget number in, its pretty clear that we have to be judicious in our use of site features while still allowing for the building to blend into the landscape," she said.
The building materials for the library will be masonry similar to what's used in City Hall, keeping with comments received that the new facility should blend in with other community buildings.
Alder Darren Stucker asked if there were still plans for a revenue-generating opportunity such as a coffee shop. No, said architect Joe Huberty, explaining that the experience of most libraries has been that revenue-generation never really materializes. Huberty said a place to put vending machines will be incorporated into the design, however.
The library design also takes into account the addition of a roundabout at the corner of Lacy and Research Park, though Public Works director Paul Woodard said that won't be installed for at least another 10 years.
The design will allow for future upgrades to the building, such as photovoltaic roof panels for solar collection, Huberty said. Because the site has limited space, however, it's not being designed with expansion in mind. The Library Board has said it prefers any future expansion to be through the addition of branches.
At past public design meetings residents had expressed an interest in a rooftop garden, which is not included in the final design. Ramsey said it has fallen off the list of priorities.
"As we further studied the mapping of the building, the height of the green roof above the parking lot made it seem more like a second amenity, like a holdover from a previous project," Ramsey said. "It was no longer making sense as a public amenity or as a library amenity."
The information that will be presented on Dec. 2 will also be presented at the Plan Commission on the night before.
Huberty said the architects hope to bring a final design for both the interior and exterior before the Council on Dec. 8 for review.
