NewCanaaanite.com recently received the following letter(s) to the editor. Please email letters to editor@newcanaanite.com for publication here.
***
The New Canaan Preservation Alliance continues to lead the town-wide effort to preserve the 1913 library, an iconic landmark. And, we continue to steadfastly support state, national and international guidelines for the preservation of historic buildings which clearly state that historic and cultural landmarks must be preserved intact and in situ, given no extraordinary conditions.
The Library board, as the private owner of the property, and the Town which funds 75% of the Library operating budget have the authority to determine the fate of the 1913 building. Recent events have made it clear that the preservation of the 1913 will not happen through our pending appeals and continuing along that avenue will only be onerous to the Town. As our only mission is to preserve and re-purpose the 1913, the NCPA initiated a “pens-down” or stay of all pending appeals, which has now been approved by the judge.
This in no way means that our efforts are over or are diminished in any way. We are ever more focused on working with the Town on alternative solutions for preservation of the 1913 Library building, as many other communities around the world have successfully done. Preservation bridges the gap between past and present and old and new. NCPA will continue to advocate for preservation of our town’s past, preserve its present, and impact its future by using sustainable methods to conserve, restore and repurpose our 1913 Library building.
Neele-Banks Stichnoth
NCPA, Board President
What are the the “alternative solutions” for the preservation of this out and out, questionable, building? I hope the solutions are not costly to our town in any way, shape or form. Because, there are children to educate here in New Canaan, and that is money well spent. I also hope that sustainability is at the forefront of this “process” which has seemed more politically motivated than community focused. Because, the whole world is watching. When I drive by the building site and see the old building sitting in the middle of the deconstructed library site it makes me sad to think that a few angry townspeople wasted so much time, money and effort on a fight with the architectural preservation of the human spirit and our collective memory; for that is what our new library truly stands for. Because, libraries hold our hearts and minds, without emotion, without fail. I hope those who put on their boxing gloves for years & years can now lay them down and come up with a plan that only involves our whole community moving towards a beautiful future, together.
Thanks Betsy.
The court on Tuesday approved this motion, which includes this language: “If the relocation of the original Library is completed in accord with the approvals issued by the New Canaan Planning and Zoning Commission, the Plaintiffs agree to withdraw all four pending appeals. The parties anticipate the relocation will be completed before the end of 2023.”
What remains of the 1913 library building, which sits in the middle of the campus as you point out, is to be moved 115 feet to the western property border with the Gulf station, to make room for the green. Preserving that structure was not originally part of the library’s plan. P&Z imposed a requirement in its overall project approval that the library come up with a preservation plan, and this is what they came up with. Whether New Canaanites favor that preservation/relocation or not, it’s an expensive project for the library that also alters the library’s original vision for the campus. If P&Z truly believed that the community wanted some form of preservation, then in my opinion the Commission clearly misread the will of town residents. This has all been caused, as you point out, by a relatively small group of residents. What the overall size of the hardline (“in situ”) preservation group is, I don’t know—we do know that there weren’t enough actual residents/electors among the preservationists even to force a referendum vote on the town’s $10 million contribution.
I think the best-case scenario is that the 1913 building feels present enough in its new location to satisfy at least most of those who sought to preserve it, and out-of-the-way enough to be OK with those of us who view the hardline preservation effort as an indisputable waste of time, energy and money.
“The hardline preservation effort (is) an indisputable waste of time, energy, and money.” Spot on!
Regardless of how many times it’s repeated here, the NCPA had nothing to do with the referendum on the $10 million grant for the new New Canaan library.
Our focus has always been on the preservation and repurposing of the original 1913 Library. As John Goodwin, former chairman of P&Z, instructed the Library back in 2021: “… there should be some real and significant preservation… The 1913 is your history, the library’s history, libraries are retainers of history, to understand and develop into the future…”
NCPA’s mission is to advocate for preservation of the Town’s character-defining historical architectural and natural environments. Our list of almost 2,000 e-mails tells us that New Canaan residents consider it a worthy mission.
Other than Town Hall (which the NCPA fought tirelessly to maintain, and can you imagine Main St if we hadn’t?) there is no more iconic building in New Canaan than the 1913 Library.
The 1913 Library is so amazing that even with the back half recently demolished, it still stands proudly and with great beauty. There appears a wonderful relationship between the old and new. The Library would save quite a bit of money keeping it right where it is!
Yes I’m sure that within the world of local preservationists there are all kinds of separate groups, sets and factions. There’s your NCPA group and then there’s those who led the effort to block the town’s $10 million contribution—never mind that at least two of the people soliciting signatures in that failed effort are board members of your NCPA. I’m sure the distinction you’re referring to is meaningful and important to you. It makes sense that you mistakenly read every reference to “preservationists,” such as in my comment above, as a reference to the NCPA (though others will have seen, Neele, that I made absolutely no reference to your group there, nor did I make any reference to your rather misled “co-plaintiff” in these appeals). I would imagine that a daily newsletter that focused not on the community of New Canaan but on the various factions of New Canaan-based preservationists would have a ready mechanism for distinguishing among those vastly different sets. Thank you for posting your comment.
Thankfully there are people in town willing to volunteer their time for a variety of town activities and even multiple boards. Being involved is a is a good thing. That’s how small towns work. But considering at the time of the referendum we had 14 people on the NCPA board, 2 being involved in signature signing seems more like preservation of keeping lower taxes!
It’s time to reassess this. If the preservationists are never going to be satisfied with the building once it’s moved, and the majority of the town feels indifferent (at best; I have the receipts!) about keeping it, can we just get rid of this needlessly contentious pile of bricks for once and for all? The library has no use for it. For all their caterwauling, the preservationists never raised the cash to buy it. And all I see when I pass it is a dumpy little thumb that a few folks had the gall to compare to Penn Station.
Time for the wrecking ball, folks.
Agree. In 50 years time, few passers-by will have any recollection of the original structure. They may well wonder why the incongruous remnant was preserved. I don’t expect any historians or architects will make pilgrimages to view it, either. It’s just not that old, or architecturally unique.
Unstated is whether the move of the original facade of the library when moved to the edge of the Gulf station will be a structure, a sort of Brandenburg Gate, or just a back door to the gas station.
In my mind is the abandonment of the handicap parking on library property, as discussed and recommended at a number of the P&Z hearings.
The solution was to have accessible parking across the street up to a hundred feet away,with dropoff at the entrance on the street, a good distance from the street.
It would have been nice if the library was not tone deaf to the pleadings of many in the town to preserve the original structure. ( I was not of them)
It also would have been been nice if P&Z back in July of ’21 used their leverage to require library to submit a plan that kept the original library building in situ. Instead they choose to split the proverbial baby and now your see the results in real time. A structure with no purpose other than providing a permanent bromide to the preservationists. The millions that the move will cost could certainly be put to much better use. The new library looks great. It’s time to move forward. In the words of Bruce Springsteen …. “Bring on your wrecking ball”
Richard, three P&Z members, including myself, wrote an alternative to the current scenario which included an in situ option but it was voted down. Such is life. One of those three members was Dan Radman, the current Chair. P&Z is in good hands with him.
James, thank you for the intelectual honesty that you and Dan Radman displayed through the process. Clearly the deck was stacked against you.
I think it’s important to keep reminding people that the Library kept saying the 1913 was a partial building, not complete, and with many condition issues – when in fact the entire building was there and honored with great care every time an addition was put on. This was seen as the building was partially demolished and gutted. It was in excellent condition and very complete. The stonework of the 1913 was made one stone at a time with great care. It’s something no one today could even afford to do.
And I thank James Basch and Dan Radman for their efforts to try to save the building when the only plan the Library had for the 1913 was a limited edition coffee table book. Those who knock this building – even that which is left of it – simply never read or heard about all the merits of this landmark and the meaning it had for so many.
Thank you, everyone, for your comments. This thread is closed.