San Rafael voters near decision on fate of library, community center

San Rafael voters will decide in the Nov. 5 election whether to approve a parcel tax to fund the construction of a new main library and community center at Albert Park.

Approval of Measure P would result in an annual tax of 14.5 cents per square foot of improved building area and $75 per vacant lot. Homeowners 65 and older would be eligible to apply for exemption.

The tax is expected to collect $6.37 million annually for 30 years, “or until construction bonds are satisfied,” according to the ballot language.

The measure requires a majority approval.

The plan would involve moving the city’s main library operations from the downtown Carnegie library at 1100 E St. to Albert Park, the site of the city community center. The design must include the preservation or relocation of the Lonatese Gardens, currently situated at the park.

Approval of Measure P would require the city to prepare a plan for preserving and reusing the historic Carnegie building.

Funds could also be used for upgrades to the city’s other branches in the Canal neighborhood and Terra Linda. Tax proceeds must not be spent on administrator salaries or other operating expenses.

The measure is sponsored by the San Rafael Public Library Foundation, a group that formed in 2004 to look at ways to expand the main branch.

Joe O’Hehir, a board member of the foundation and chair of the initiative committee, said the Yes on P campaign centers on the message of “revitalizing the library and community center.”

“We really are imagining a much newer, larger, more modern library infrastructure with thousands of more books, more gathering space, children’s story time areas and arts programs,” O’Hehir said.

The downtown library was constructed in 1909. Despite several expansions over the years, the library, at 12,500 square feet, is too small to serve as a modern institution, O’Hehir said.

Across its three branches, San Rafael offers about 17,500 square feet of library space. A recent analysis determined that San Rafael needs about 45,000 to 50,000 square feet of library space to meet the demand today.

Last year, city staff said it would cost about $50 million to $60 million for a 27,000-square-foot remodel of the downtown library. Their analysis said it would be about $70 million to $85 million to build a 26,000-square-foot library with a 17,700-square-foot community center at Albert Park.

O’Hehir said many residents use both the library and the community center, so it makes sense to combine them at one site.

“We have a unique opportunity at Albert Park to enhance the services and have a shared space,” he said. “It can really be an intergenerational gathering spot right near downtown for all citizens.”

At the proposed tax rate, the city would expect to have the capacity to bond for approximately $88.2 million to fund the planning and construction, according to a city staff presentation to City Council in July. The bond amount assumes a 30-year term and a 5% interest rate.

The city has not made any commitments to bonding any amount, nor has the city made a decision on the scope or scale of the project. Those details would be considered if the measure passes, according to city staff.

The city operates the three library branches on about a $5.36 million budget and 21.9 full-time equivalent employees, according to the city.

The City Council voted in July to place the initiative on the ballot after being presented with a successful citizens’ initiative petition signed by 3,773 registered voters supporting the effort.

The Coalition of Sensible Taxpayers, a local watchdog group, has taken a neutral stance on the measure. However, the group generally opposes citizens’ initiatives because the method lowers the threshold needed for approval from a two-thirds vote to a simple majority.

“Measure P has a worthy goal, a much-needed new library (and community center),” Kingston Cole, a board member of the organization, said in an email. “But its supporters evaded the regular process of needing 2/3 of the vote to pass by using the so-called ‘citizens’ initiative’ and paying professional, expensive signature gatherers.”

No arguments against Measure P have been filed with the Marin County Elections Department.

However, San Rafael resident Brad Sears has been an opponent of the library initiative, arguing that the downtown branch could be restored in a way that would satisfy the desires of the library foundation.

“Restoring the Carnegie is something the citizens of San Rafael can afford and will miss if it is abandoned for some other unstated public use,” Sears said. “There is nothing more endearing than passing the library and seeing toddlers and mothers playing under the big oak. The soul of San Rafael is at stake.”