Carrboro will have to continue waiting for a new library after Tuesday night’s Orange County Board of Commissioners meeting.
The board unanimously decided not to purchase a 2.69-acre property in Carrboro for use as the Southwest Branch of the Orange County Public Library system. However, it will continue the search for a suitable site for the branch.
The site, located at 210 Hillsborough Road near Carrboro Elementary School, was conditionally rezoned in April 2011 to allow for the construction of a public library building of up to 20,000 square feet.
Several issues have prevented the county from approving the site’s purchase, including costs estimated at more than $610,000,possible traffic impacts on the neighborhood and legal issues.
Also notable:
- The Board unanimously approved a $12,200 study to analyze the real estate needs of “spin-off” companies that originated from UNC at the meeting.
-Hillsborough road residents spoke against the purchase of the library site, and two county residents said they oppose library construction anywhere.
Quotable:
Chapel Hill resident Gary Barnes cited the rising popularity of e-readers and online access to books as his reason for opposing the library site.
