Council has finally given the go ahead to the $7.5 million plans for the public library facility, which will be standing in the heart of Whistler by early 2006.
The approval marks the final days of a leaky trailer ruining good books, it relegates the unsuccessful fundraising campaign to a distant memory and it puts to rest two months of friction-filled council debate about the proposed facility.
Mayor Hugh O’Reilly was pleased with Monday’s outcome, particularly as council broke down the various components of the project and voted on each separately.
"It didn’t stall the project and it didn’t set people up to go against the project if there was an element (they didn’t agree with)," he said after the meeting.
"It got the job done and everyone I think walked away feeling good, so it’s great."
All councillors, with the exception of Ken Melamed who was not at Monday’s meeting, supported the recommendation to begin a proposal call for hiring a construction management team for the library.
This is a departure from the library plans presented last month, which called for a more traditional client/consultant team model, using the British Columbia Building Corporation for project development services.
"Construction management is a great way to add accountability," said Councillor Marianne Wade, who was adamant about moving away from the client/construction team model at the last council meeting.
But Wade and Councillor Kristi Wells could not reconcile their concerns about the $815,000 price tag to rehire Hughes Condon Marler Architects – the same firm who designed the proposed joint library/museum facility two years ago and the company that designed the Spring Creek Fire Hall.
"(I) think (the municipality) could deliver a better project with a different design team," said Wells.
Wade also had concerns about the costs of the architect and said she would have been happier to put out a call for proposals from other design firms.
But time is of the essence and putting out the library design for a proposal call could delay the process up to five months, which would in turn drive up the overall costs, according to Municipal Parks Planner Martin Pardoe, who presented the plan to council at Monday’s meeting.
"Staff’s biggest concern remains with the escalating costs (of construction)," he said.
According to the detailed staff report, looking for a new design team could force the project into a seasonal shutdown during the 2005-06 winter season.
Ultimately the building would not be ready until late 2006, roughly a 10-month difference.
Estimates point to a $44,000 increase in construction costs per month at that time. As such, the delay could add close to half a million dollars to the overall cost of the project.
Avoiding the rising construction costs isn’t the only reason to go with Hughes Condon Marler Architects, according to the staff report.
The decision to hire HCMA is supported both by municipal staff and the Whistler Public Library Building Committee.
The company was originally chosen as a result of a public proposal call for the joint facility.
The staff report states:
"HCMA were selected because they scored highest in the evaluation process, had positive reference checks, had a fee within the proposed budget, and were eager and available to perform the work."
This work cost half a million dollars and by re-hiring the team, staff sees this as the best way of using that $500,000 worth of previously contracted work and knowledge.
Yet, when David McColm, a member of the public and a structural engineer, asked point blank which councillors liked the original design of the joint library building during the public question and answer period, not one member of council spoke up for the design.
McColm said the design does not reflect Whistler. On top of that it’s expensive.
"I just want a good building for Whistler," he said after the meeting.
"I want taxpayers’ money spent wisely."
Mayor Hugh O’Reilly said the municipality would ensure that they get what they want from the architect and not the other way around.
Council also approved plans on Monday night to explore the potential of seniors housing on the site, working with the Whistler Housing Authority and the Mature Action Committee.
Adding 9,000 square feet of seniors housing units on top of the library building would cost roughly $1.5 million, driving up the overall costs of the building to close to $9 million.
It is proposed that the units would be self-funded. As such, the rental income would be used to pay back the project costs.
Staff will also investigate the possibility of putting the seniors housing next to the library building as a standalone project.
Council also approved the Library Steering Committee to direct the project. Wells asked that two members of the community be appointed to this committee, which is made up of the Whistler Public Library Committee, the council representative on the library board and municipal staff.
She also asked for certain items to be red-flagged when it came time to amend the budget for the library facility. In particular she asked for an assessment of the need for library retail stores and also for a review of using the Pan Pacific parking fund to pay for the underground parking lot.
