Episode 7: A Possible New Chapter – The Proposed Library Building Project

In this episode of the Your Yarmouth Podcast, we’re taking a look at the town’s proposed new library build project that could be up for a vote at the Spring 2026 Annual Town Meeting.
 
We sit down with Library Building Project Committee Member Tom Pendleton, who explains why the need for a new library, the projected cost, and how it’ll be more than just a home for books.
 
Everything you need to know about the proposed Library Building Project can be found on the Town of Yarmouth’s website here: https://www.yarmouth.ma.us/2160/Library-Building-Project
 

Visit the Town of Yarmouth's website at https://yarmouth.ma.us

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Will there soon be a new library in Yarmouth? It's expected to be on the warrant for your vote for this town meeting in April. Today I sit down with a library building committee member to talk about all the details. Next, joining me is Tom Pettleton. You are on the Library Building Committee. It's great to have you here. Thanks for joining us.

SPEAKER_00 0:30

Thanks, Lori. It's great to be here, and I'm looking forward to the conversation we're about to have.

SPEAKER_01 0:35

So before we dive in, how long have you lived in Yarmouth?

SPEAKER_00 0:39

Uh we've lived in Yarmouth since 2020. However, we bought our house in 2014. However, my in-laws owned a bed and breakfast on Pleasant Street, and we were married here back in 1980. So throughout until we until 2020, when we moved here, we visited quite frequently, bringing our kids and now our grandkids. So it's it's just a wonderful community to to be around and to raise kids and the grandkids.

SPEAKER_01 1:04

And how did you get involved in the library project?

SPEAKER_00 1:07

So I I saw an application online. The town was looking for volunteers for various boards, and I put in my application, and the town approached me uh with several other people about being on the library board, and I said, absolutely do it 100%.

SPEAKER_01 1:22

So can you give us a brief overview of the project?

SPEAKER_00 1:25

Sure. So back in 2024 at Springtown meeting, the town awarded$150,000 and uh to do a feasibility study for the libraries, and that was combined with a grant of$100,000 from the Mass Board of Library Commissioners. Um, the feasibility study was done, and then in 2025, we submitted a grant application. Um, in December, the application went into the MBLC with concept drawings about the library, and then the MBLC came back in January and said, go forward, build the library.

SPEAKER_01 1:58

You really have jumped through a lot of hoops to get this going.

SPEAKER_00 2:01

We did. We had to sit and select the site. Um we looked at seven potential sites throughout the town and and settled on the site right near uh the McCarth uh MacArthur School across from the Simpkins building. And then after we selected the site, we selected an architect to do our work, and that's Udens Ellows out of Boston.

SPEAKER_01 2:24

Why now? Why is the library so important?

SPEAKER_00 2:26

So there are a number, there are a number of that's a great question, a number of reasons. One, the existing buildings no longer uh fully meet the current needs. Uh one, they're not ADA compliant. We have a tremendous amount of interest in people visiting the library. The libraries aren't up to modern standards. Um, and in fact, they will require a lot of rehabilitation and maintenance work going forward. So this is the absolute right time to look at the new library.

SPEAKER_01 2:51

So, because there's a potential for this to be voted at town meeting in April, what is the biggest takeaway that you'd like people to know?

SPEAKER_00 3:00

So the biggest takeaway is this is going to be an anchor spot for the town, a destination place for anybody who comes to visit, um, for grandparents to bring their grandkids, for parents to bring their children, um, for seniors to do research, to have a quiet place uh to just and you can be able when you see the the renderings of the building, you'll be able to be able to sit outside in the summertime and and read a book uh and just the magnificent children programs that'll be uh provided by the library. I think that's it's just time. It's time for a new library.

SPEAKER_01 3:34

I think some people are asking what's going to happen to the West Yarmouth Library.

SPEAKER_00 3:38

So the West Yarmouth Library will remain open, it will be a branch, it will not close, and it'll be a fully functioning library, along with the main branch that will be built, the new library.

SPEAKER_01 3:48

Good news for those words.

SPEAKER_00 3:49

Absolutely good news, absolutely. It's a wonderful building, beautiful spot on 28, great frontage. Um, and that that side of the community is very, very happy with their library and they'd like to maintain it, and we think that's the right thing to do.

SPEAKER_01 4:03

How did the committee ensure that all of the public's needs were going to be met?

SPEAKER_00 4:09

Sure. So um once the and once the uh we got the notice to proceed with the grant, um, the architect and the library building committee had several outreach meetings with town folk and had them come in. We met at the uh senior center, I believe. So they had their input. They had their input. You know, we met with both parents, we met with children, we met with um a number of other groups in the community to come in and talk about the library.

SPEAKER_01 4:38

So you mentioned the architect. Are there any like state-of-the-art wow?

SPEAKER_00 4:43

That's a great question. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 4:46

Things that people can be excited about?

SPEAKER_00 4:48

Absolutely. It's uh it's gonna be a very open building with lots of glass, lots of light, um, a very beautiful children's wing, uh, an adult wing, uh, a separate section for teenagers, and what's really important is a community wing, which will have um uh room for meetings, the seat of 120 people, classrooms, kitchen facilities, and that that can be closed off hours so people can come and have meetings. I think it's just uh and technology-wise, it's gonna be much more up to date.

SPEAKER_01 5:21

Yeah. Um, what excites you the most about this project? Is that a loaded question?

SPEAKER_00 5:28

It's a loaded question. Um what excites me the most is it it gives the opportunity for the town to see um you know a a brand new facility in town that's gonna be it's a community center. Um it'll be inviting to everybody who comes in. Uh that's what I'm excited about. The current buildings, although wonderful and beautiful and historic, just don't have the adequate space and room to do the things that a modern library would like to do. That's what I'm excited about.

SPEAKER_01 5:59

Tom, can you explain to us about the funding of this project?

SPEAKER_00 6:03

Absolutely. So there'll be primarily three parts to the funding: the town, the MBLC grant, and part of the requirement of the MBLC grant is that the town do a level of fundraising. So the town will have have at town meeting have to vote on a potential debt exclusion override, whichever way they want to go. The MBLC grant will fund about 38.5%. And then the fundraising, we're looking at probably a two and a half million dollars is the goal. So those will be the three legs of the fundraising.

SPEAKER_01 6:33

And if this passes, what is the timeline?

SPEAKER_00 6:36

So the timeline after it passes town meeting and then goes to ballot in May, once it's approved at both, then we'll sign a contract with the architect for the design of the building, and that'll take about 12 months. Okay. During the latter stages of that, the bidding process will go out for the general contractor and the subcontractors. Um that's about 12 months, and then about two months after that, uh shovels in the ground, and then about 18 months of construction.

SPEAKER_01 7:05

Okay, so a couple of years between the case.

SPEAKER_00 7:07

You were looking at you know, 2029, early 2030, maybe.

unknown 7:11

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 7:11

So for people that want more information on this, where can they go?

SPEAKER_00 7:16

Absolutely. There's a number of places they can go. There's um one place if they go into any any of the current libraries or town hall, or there are a number of places around town, the chamber of commerce, various churches, they can pick up a brochure. They can come into town hall and look at the renderings of the building. They're also located at the South Yarmouth and the West Yarmouth Libraries. Okay. Um and they can go it, they there is a link on the back of the flyer where they can go to the town website and get all the information they absolutely need. And they can they can contact the building committee.

SPEAKER_01 7:51

And I think there's some frequently asked questions.

SPEAKER_00 7:53

There are some frequently asked questions on on the website there.

SPEAKER_01 7:56

That would be super helpful.

SPEAKER_00 7:57

Absolutely.

unknown 7:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 7:58

Just to recap, if you want to know more about the library building project, just head to our website for all the latest information. And please show up at town meeting April 28th to cast your vote. Once again, thanks for joining us. Don't forget, you can follow us on all of our social media, our website, our YouTube channel, channel uh 8, and you can find us anywhere you get your podcast.