New, expanded library planned for West Valley

YAKIMA, Wash. — West Valley residents would get a brand new library to replace the current branch in the Chalet Mall under a proposal by the Yakima Valley Libraries board of directors.

The library filed an application with the city of Yakima on Tuesday that requests approval to build an 11,000-square-foot building at 223 S. 72nd Ave., across the street from the Orchard Shopping Center.

Kim Hixson, interim director, said the new facility would replace leased space in the Chalet Mall at 56th and Summitview avenues. The library system pays $130,000 a year for the leased space. The lease expires in 2012.

"Because it's fairly expensive, we would like to put that money into our own building," Hixson said.

The new library would be about 2,500 square feet larger than the current West Valley branch.

Estimates are that it would cost the library system, which operates independently of Yakima County government, $410,000 to buy four parcels on 72nd Avenue that have a combined assessed value of $423,000. Construction would cost $1.5 million to $2 million.

The plan doesn't sit well with George Pickard, a leader of Save Our Library, a group trying to get the Nile branch re-opened.

"They're going to take our $51,000 in property taxes and put it somewhere else? Not without a fight," said Pickard.

Nile residents have lobbied the library board to reopen the rural branch, which was closed in the fall after a landslide damaged the road to the branch.

Library officials say the closure isn't final but was necessary because of financial constraints on the system and technical problems with the Internet connection.

Hixson said she hopes Nile residents don't make a connection between the West Valley plan and their loss of services.

"We're hoping to maximize our resources in the long run," she said.

A public hearing on the West Valley library proposal will be at 9 a.m. April 22 in Yakima City Council chambers.