The Charleston County Library Board recommended as the first choice that the new James Island Library be located on the JIPSD property on Dills Bluff. The back-up site is the purchase of a portion of the BI-LO shopping center.
Please support the Library Board's recommendation.
The JIPSD property has two key advantages. It is almost in the exact center of James Island and very close to the existing branch. The developers of the Preserve at Dills Bluff across the street are building a sidewalk at the Town's request from the site up to the corner of Dills Bluff and Camp. The Town and Charleston County are working on sidewalk projects that will provide connectivity both down Camp and Dills Bluff.
The key problem with the Dills Bluff site is finding a majority of JIPSD Commissioners who will agree to sell at a fair price. The property is 6.2 acres, and the Town is very interested in purchasing the 2.2 acres not needed for the Library. That is where we would locate the new Town Hall. This reduces the net cost of the land to the Library. The appraised value is $555,000, or nearly $90,000 per acre. The cost to the County would be approximately $360,000, with the Town paying $195,000. The Bright property across the street went for $1.2 million, which is approximately $110,000 per acre. If the County paid that price, it would pay $440,000 and the Town would pay $242,000. While I believe that the JIPSD's current offer price of $1 million, or over $160,000 per acre, is unconscionably high, the cost to the County would be $645,000 and to the Town $355,000. This is within the JI Library's budget for land acquisition and so the site remains feasible.
The JIPSD Commissioners started at the truly absurd price of $5 million. They did come down to $1 million, which is the correct order of magnitude. But they need to come down closer to the price suggested by their own appraiser. It is important to remember that the taxpayers of the Town of James Island purchased this land in the nineties. A judge gave the property to the JIPSD at no cost. And it has sat vacant for 20 years.
If the JIPSD Commissioners will not see reason, then the Library Board has recommended an excellent backup. The BI-LO site involves the purchase of 20,000 square feet of floor space in an existing building and then renovating. The total cost is $9.3 million. This is well below the estimated $10,800,000 of constructing a 20,000 square foot library.
Perhaps the money saved could be used on additional improvements to the new JI library or else improve other libraries in the County. Borrowing less money and so charging the taxpayers a lower bond millage also sounds good to me.
Having the new Library near Folly Road could enhance the Rethink Folly road project. BI-LO is very near the center of the Town's commercial core at the corner of Folly and Camp. Redeveloping and revitalizing our Folly Road "downtown" is something we should be doing. The Camp and Folly intersection improvement will extend sidewalks to BI-LO from Camp and Folly.
Unfortunately, deals have been cut and promises made. Baxter-Patrick on Grimball Road was supported 5 to 2 with two abstentions by the Charleston County Council's finance committee.
But I don't think County Council was told the whole story before.
They were told that Baxter Patrick was free and BI-LO would cost $5 million. Of course, Baxter Patrick is a vacant lot and the School District wants $200,000 in "accommodations." The $5 million figure for BI-LO was for all the vacant space there, when the Library only needs 20,000 square feet. The BI-LO site would require renovation, but the total cost of $9.3 million is way less than $10.8 million for new construction elsewhere.
As for the Dills Bluff site, if the JIPSD Commissioners were to sell at the current appraisal, it would only cost the Library $160,000 more than Baxter Patrick. Still, it will be more expensive unless the JIPSD is willing to come down to $310,000, leaving the Library share at $200,000. (And if the JIPSD Commissioners had any sense, they would offer to "donate" the land in exchange for "accommodations.") But if money is the issue, then BI-LO is the clear choice. It is $1.7 million less than Baxter Patrick!
However, the only way any of the five who voted for Baxter Patrick will change their mind is if there is a huge turnout of James Islanders to County Council's meeting on June 16.
Please try to make time to go to the meeting and ask County Council to follow the Library Board's recommendation. The Dill's Bluff property is the first choice, but if they cannot work out a fair price, then BI-LO is an excellent backup.
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