In mid-September we mailed a brochure to all district residences describing four options for remedying the physical shortcomings of the present Manhasset Public Library. The second of those options involves the repair and expansion of the present building and the acquisition of the commercial property immediately to its south, now occupied by the Adam Art Center, in order to meet the critical need for an increase in on-site library parking. The Sept. 24 edition of the Manhasset Press carried a letter from Jeffrey Adam, from which we learned that the Art Center has extended its lease for an additional two years and that the property is not now for sale. In light of Mr. Adam's letter, some residents have asked us whether Option 2 is still feasible. For the following reasons, we think that district voters can and should continue to weigh Option 2 as one of the possible solutions to the library's acute space problems.

In the fall of 1996 we were approached by a real estate broker acting on behalf of the owner of that commercial property, who offered to sell it to the library. We had the property appraised and negotiated with the owner's representative concerning an appropriate price. No agreement was reached and no timetable established because of the emergence of Mayor Lentini's joint library plan, the rekindling of public interest in the Christ Church site, and our uncertainty as to which of the four possible options the voters would wish us to pursue. We explained to the owner our need to consult with the public and we prepared and sent the brochure detailing those options. In the meantime, the Adam Art Center lease expired and the owner renewed it for an additional two-year period. After the letter from Mr. Adam was published, our attorney contacted the owner and was told that, as a result of the lease renewal, she was not presently interested in selling the property, but that we were free to contact her if we wished to discuss its purchase at a future date.

Each of the four options we presented to the public in our recent brochure has advantages and disadvantages. The second option, repairing and enlarging the library at the present site, maximized the public's investment in the current library facility. However, it makes sense only if space for additional parking can be obtained. In deciding whether the library should implement Option 2, its benefits must be weighed, however reluctantly, against the possible detriment to the Art Center. We esteem the Art Center as a good neighbor and a longtime part of the Manhasset community. However, it is appropriate to note that it is a tenant of the property, that it previously moved its location from Plandome Road to the present site, and that, with proper notice, it should be able to find a suitable alternative store and move again.

In the last analysis, the question is which of the four options the residents of the district think will deliver the kind of library service they desire at a price they are willing to pay. If Option 2 is chosen, it will be necessary to acquire the Adam Art Center site. In that event, it would be our hope to buy the property with the agreement of its owner and with as little inconvenience and disruption to the business of the Art Center as possible. However, since additional parking space is essential to the viability of that option, we could, as a last resort, acquire it for the use of the public by condemnation at its fair market value.

We need to know the public's views--and there are many, on all sides of these questions. A public forum to discuss the issues will be held in the library's community room at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17. We hope to meet you there.

The Board of Trustees of the Manhasset Public Library

James E. Pelzer, president

Carol Ascrizzi, vice president

Senetta Koch, financial secretary

Francis J. Hone, trustee

Seval LaRocca, trustee