Columbia Pike Library Stays Open

2024 Meeting Schedule

Normally meetings alternate between
Alice West Fleet Elementary Library
and the
Public Montessori School of Arlington Library.
Meetings start at 7:00 PM.

Please check the newsletter for details.

June 18, 2010


County Manager Withdraws Proposal to Move Columbia Pike Library

From www.arlnow.com

County Manager Michael Brown has withdrawn a controversial proposal to move the Columbia Pike library from the Arlington Career Center to the future Arlington Mill Community Center.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."

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