Town council passes resolution opposing library recommendation
Decision on Black Mountain and Swannanoa branches ‘not imminent’
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
May 13, 2021
The Black Mountain Town Council unanimously passed a resolution, May 13, opposing the Buncombe County Public Libraries Facility Master Plan, which proposes closing two local branches and consolidating them into a larger regional facility. Photo by Fred McCormick
A resolution opposing the Buncombe County Public Libraries Facility Master Plan, which proposes closing branches in Black Mountain and Swannanoa in favor of building a larger regional branch, was passed unanimously by the town council in a May 13 special call meeting.
The recommendation, which will be presented to the Buncombe County Commission in its 3 p.m., Tuesday, May 18 regular monthly meeting, was the first topic of discussion Thursday morning.
Town attorney Ron Sneed, who serves on the Black Mountain Library Board, informed town council of the proposal Monday, expressing concern over the potential loss of what he called a “community center.” Mayor Larry Harris was not in favor of the plan and asked Councilmember Pam King to relay the board’s opposition to Buncombe County Library Director Jim Blanton.
King, who served three years as president of the Friends of the Black Mountain Library prior to her term on the town council, met with Blanton, May 11, to discuss the proposal.
“It’s very obvious that many of us love the Black Mountain Library, and it’s really important we all watch the Buncombe County Commission meeting on Tuesday, May 18,” King said. “That’s when the consultant’s report will be presented. I think that would be really helpful to understand what the plans will be.”
The county launched a process to evaluate uses of its 43 buildings “some months ago,” according to King.
“Buncombe County Libraries have been on the back burner for a number of years,” she said. “And, compared to peer counties, they were behind on facilities, staffing and salaries. It’s a good thing that the current county commission is looking at all of that, and they added eight long overdue positions to the county library system last year.”
The conclusion that it would be beneficial to consolidate the Swannanoa and Black Mountain branches into a larger multi-functional facility was the result of an analysis conducted by a consultant, King added.
“Their focus was completely on data, because that’s what consultants do, and it was to be used as a starting point for the discussion,” she said. “Every library in our county is up for similar review.”
She added that the director was not driving the idea to close the Black Mountain Library.
“There are a lot of factors to consider here,” she said. “I’d reiterate it’s important to watch this presentation before you make decisions or come to conclusions.”
Convincing decision-makers that a library is a “community anchor” can override the data, King continued, but doing so would likely require significant expansion of the current facility to meet best-use standards.
King posted information on how to participate in public comment in the upcoming county commissioners meeting on her Pam King, Black Mountain Town Councilmember Facebook page, and added that a decision on this plan was not imminent.
Harris presented a Resolution of Opposition to Buncombe County Libraries Facility Master Plan, recognizing the Black Mountain branch as a community anchor.
“Whereas the concept of sustainability will be better served by continued use of the present Black Mountain Library building,” the resolution states, “which can be updated, where needed, for a fraction of the cost of construction and use of materials that will be required to build a new structure.”
The resolution concludes that the town council is opposed to the facility master plan, as currently written, and urges county commissioners to vote against it.
All five members of the town council voted in favor of the resolution following a motion by Ryan Stone.