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Council rejects plan to reopen library discussion By Myles Murphy Ashland Daily Tidings A petition with 1,400 signatures was not enough to convince the Ashland City Council to postpone the expansion of the Ashland Public Library. "Trees mean a lot to me and they always have, but trees must be put in perspective," Councilman Don Laws said. "There are other values we have to consider, like the beauty of architecture and the dissemination of knowledge. We have to make compromises - that's what making a decision as a community is all about." Ashland voters approved a bond for the expansion in November 1999 by a 2-to-1 margin. "I cannot second-guess the voters on this one," Laws said. About 20 people concerned that the library plans will result in trees being cut down gathered signatures over the weekend and brought their concerns to the city council Tuesday. The council meeting ran short on time and the group was invited to speak at a Wednesday study session. Signers of the petition felt "angry, betrayed and completely uninformed," about the number of trees that would be cut for the expansion, according to group spokesman Bob Taber. Barbara Ryberg, president of Friends of the Ashland Public Library, said that the community's desire to keep the library at its Hargadine Street location necessitates the removal of some trees. "This is not an urban forest. It's landscaping," she said. "I do not believe signatures on a petition are a substitute for a law. What would that say about Ashland? In Ashland your vote doesn't count?" Other council members didn't believe the public had been kept in the dark about the cutting of trees. "I think the process was lengthy and very public," Councilwoman Susan Reid said. Councilman Cameron Hanson agreed. "I don't believe the public process was skirted in any way," he said. Taber does not know what, if anything, his group might do about its concerns now. "I feel good about the fact that we did what we could," he said. According to Taber, about 20 trees and smaller shrubs are planned for removal. City Administrator Greg Scoles could not confirm the exact number, but noted that 17 of the old trees are staying, and about 24 new trees will be planted. Construction bids on the expansion will be in to the city by Oct. 31. Until then, Scoles said there is no way to make an estimate on when work will begin at the site. Visit our back issue library Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Western Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Corvallis Gazette-Times | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | | Ashland Daily Tidings | Gresham Outlook | Springfield News | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2000 Lee Northwest Publishing