June 18, 2010
County Manager Withdraws Proposal to Move Columbia Pike Library
From www.arlnow.com
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County Manager Michael Brown has withdrawn a controversial proposal to move the Columbia Pike library from the Arlington Career Center to the future Arlington Mill Community Center. Brown told the County Board:
"I am withdrawing the proposal to relocate the Columbia Pike Branch Library. The library will continue to offer services at this branch, at its current location, with no change in scope or format. "We solicited public opinion on the staff proposal to relocate the Columbia Pike Branch Library to Arlington Mill. Staff met with Civic Association leaders, solicited comment through the County website and social media, and held a well-attended town hall meeting this week. Public sentiment was strong and clear: People are passionate about this facility in its current location. "Staff will move forward expeditiously with development of the Arlington Mill Community Center. We will continue to explore options with the Steering Committee, framed by the existing community proposals and operating budget constraints, for any additional space that will be available in the Arlington Mill Community Center." |
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The news announced this afternoon of our successful defeat of the Columbia
Pike Library proposal has spread throughout the County at an unprecedented
pace and we have received congratulations from every corner of Arlington. I
would like to thank the hundreds of Pike community members, both in
Arlington Heights and beyond, for their passionate support of our Columbia
Pike Library Branch. Thank you to all who attended meetings, posted on list
serves, made posters, dropped fliers, wrote letters, made phone calls
and ensured our unified message was heard loud and clear. I would especially
like to thank Santya Lanman and Juliet Hiznay in Arlington Heights for their
tireless work on this issue. I would also like to thank the Thomas Jefferson
Middle School PTA and their President Nancy Van Doren and the Patrick Henry
Elementary School PTA and their President Mike Sobola for their support
and quick response at the end of the school year. The children in our
community received a crash course in civic activism these past few weeks,
and for those who may not have seen them in action at the June 16th Library
meeting, they made us all proud.
I am personally proud to live in a community where we stand up for what we believe in and I'm reassured to know we can still count on our voices being heard by our government officials. Thank you again and congratulations to us all. Stacey Whyte, President Arlington Heights Civic Association |