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Politics & Government

Agreement Finally Reached for Library Parking Lot

Village of Libertyville to provide indemnification for any injuries that occur due to the planned layout of Cook Park Library lot at the request of the village.

After months of discussions, the Board of Library Trustees of the Cook Memorial Public Library District approved an agreement with the Village of Libertyville on Tuesday to change the existing parking lot at the Cook Park branch.

The modifications will involve widening the Brainerd entrance to allow for two way traffic in and out of the lot. The village requested the change to allow for the closure of the Church Street exit during village events such as , Car Fun on 21 and farmers markets when Church Street is closed.

, but, until Tuesday, .

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“In the interest of cooperation, I vote yes,” board member Mary Ann Phillips said when the board voted on the agreement. The approval was passed 6-1 with board member Nathan Johnson voting no.

Safety issues have been the board’s largest concern, and the final agreement requires the village to provide indemnification for any injuries that occur due to the planned layout of the lot. In addition, the library would have the ability to change the lot back to its original layout if the library board finds the modifications to be unsafe.

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Before the vote, board member Wendy Vieth told the board that she had asked the village if they have had any safety issues in the parking lot and parking garage behind Village Hall, a parking area that has similarities to the proposed library parking lot layout.

“The village said there has been no significant issues with traffic going in and out,” Vieth said. “and I’d say they have more cars going in and out than we do.”

The modifications will exclude an island at the Brainerd entrance, drawn in the original plans, because the village thought the island would cause more problems.

Also during Tuesday’s board meeting, Library Director Stephen Kershner discussed the success of the summer reading program.

“We’re running double our regular rate,” Kershner said. “As of about three hours ago, we had 3,838 individuals signed up for the program.”

Kershner also announced that attendance numbers have shown significant gains than previous years and cited the new facilities and additional programs as the reason for higher attendance.

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