Wake commissioners advance plan for Athens Drive library; vote still needed
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- After years of debate about the future of the Athens Drive Community Library, Wake County commissioners on Monday moved one step closer to selecting a new site for the long-awaited project.
The Friends of Athens Drive Community Library organization has pushed for years to keep the library, which is on the Athens Drive High School campus, within the neighborhood. A special meeting on Monday afternoon marked the latest milestone in that effort.
"I can't wait to go home and tell my boys that we got five votes for the WellFed Garden site today, which is enough. So I'm, I'm stoked," said Emily Register, a member of the Friends of Athens Drive Community Library.
Commissioners discussed two possible locations. One across the street to a parcel known as the Well Fed Garden site, or to build a new regional library facility in Cary near Tryon Road and Yates Mill Pond Road.
Because of limited space, the Well Fed Garden site would require a more expensive two-story building. The Tryon Road option, however, would serve fewer residents than the Athens Drive area. Wake Commissioners would like all residents to live within a 10-minute drive of a library, and both options would meet that criterion.
Keeping Athens Drive in its current community would serve more than 125,000 residents. Moving to a regional library near Tryon Road would decrease that number to just shy of 100,000 residents.
Commissioner Vickie Adamson was the lone member advocating for the Tryon Road site, citing long-term planning and financial considerations.
"I assumed I was in the minority walking into the room because we've had the Athens Drive community put a lot of pressure on us," Adamson said. "And sometimes when you make fiscally sound decisions, you have to look at the long term and not just the folks who are loud."
"Adamson added that the Tryon Road location could allow for a land swap and potential affordable housing.
"It's a much more buildable site, and we can also maybe put affordable housing on it based off of having to buy a site. We can't do anything else. It will be landlocked in the future," she said.
Meanwhile, another FOADCL member commented, "The library bond was passed, with the promise of replacing the Athens Drive Community Library. And when the discussions change to the Tryon Road site and the size and expandability, we soon realized that this was not going to be a replacement of that community library."
No final decision was made Monday. Commissioners are expected to vote on whether to move forward with the Well Fed Garden location at their meeting next Monday.
