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City moves ahead with own library Ashland hires architects for preliminary planning By ALBERTO ENRIQUEZ ASHLAND -- The city has hired SERA Architects of Portland to assist in the preliminary design of the Ashland Public Library restoration and expansion project. City Administrator Mike Freeman said Wednesday that after a week of negotiations, a $67,000 contract was signed Tuesday. The total includes a lump sum of $52,640 for 748 hours of work by SERA, plus additional amounts for reimbursable expenses and structural, civil and mechanical engineering counsultants as needed. Actual work on the Ashland library will require voters to approve bonds. Ashland Mayor Cathy Shaw has proposed that the city place a library bond on the ballot in May, but not issue bonds immediately in case a countywide library bond issue passes. A county bond would be cheaper per property owner because of higher property valuation, but a city bond would be quicker and surer to pass, she said. Jackson County Administrator Burke Raymond has recommended that the county wait until March 2000 to put a countywide library bond on the ballot. Shaw said Wednesday that the city hired SERA primarily because of the Portland firm's extensive blueprint for public input. Another Portland bidder included public involvement in its proposal, Shaw said, but "only SERA got (the point) that Ashland needed a different level of community involvement." City officials plan to hold two workshops with SERA to involve the public in the planning and design of the library. The meetings, to be held at the Hillah Temple, 51 Winburn Way, will: Explore the expansion needs of the library at the existing Carnegie building and site, and generate concepts for the best library of the future, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 6. Discuss layout, function, material choices and overall image, refine concepts and select a preferred alternative for development by the project team, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 13. Those unable to attend the workshops are invited to drop by the Hillah Temple during the week of Feb. 8 to Feb. 12. The goal is for preliminary designs and cost estimates to be presented at the City Council's March 16 meeting at the Civic Center. Golden said other factors that weighed heavily in SERA's favor included: SERA's selection of historic consultant Cathryne Page, who has worked on other Carnegie libraries in dense San Francisco neighborhoods, including Chinatown, and the Mission, Park and Sunset districts. SERA's hiring of local architect Ray Kistler, the only local architect to meet with the committee. SERA's decision to work with George Kramer, a local authority on historic buildings and historic preservation. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA