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PLAINFIELD – The Meriden Library building that has been welcoming patrons to browse its stacks of books since 1965 could have a second life for out-of-town visitors and weddings.
Plainfield residents Thom and Amy Lappin offer to buy the brick structure on Bean Road and move it across the street.
There, they operate the Poor Thom Tavern, a Meriden Village staple the couple hope to expand with a small barn for entertaining and a bed and breakfast capable of serving one family at a time.
Their proposal, which is still being negotiated with city officials, could be finalized in the coming weeks, according to Plainfield Town administrator Steve Halleran.
If a favorable deal is struck, he said, the city wants the library to be moved by mid-October to make way for a new 4,000-square-foot structure. approved at the municipal assembly.
“I think most people in town, frankly, think reusing this building – that it still serves a purpose in Meriden Village – is a good idea,” Halleran said Tuesday.
City officials had originally offered to demolish the old Library Building, a small two-story structure about a quarter-mile from Kimball Union Academy, to make way for its $ 1.16 million replacement, which has already received over $ 900,000 in private donations.
However, said Halleran, this approach was reconsidered by the Selectboard, which instead chose to ask if someone could use the building. Earlier this year, the city published an ad in the Valley News ask a buyer for “removal of all materials”.
“This proposal could be for anything. It wasn’t that you had to move it. But we just wanted to remove it from the site, ”the city administrator said. “The only people who responded were Thom and Amy Lappin.”
In a June 18 letter, the couple offered $ 1 for the building, planning to move it and leave the foundations in place, a proposal that Halleran said could save the city $ 20,000 off a demolition cost of ‘about $ 35,000.
Halleran said the city would still be responsible for demolishing the foundation and may be responsible for removing asbestos from the building itself.
“What gives them a huge advantage is that their business is right across from the library,” he said, adding that the location could save the Lapps from a costly move.
Amy Lappin, who was elected to the selection committee in March, said in a telephone interview that their offer was only made after no one else had made an offer for the building. She has since withdrawn from discussions about the library building.
“No one made a bid for the building, and it’s just a bit of a shame that this somewhat historic building was going to be demolished,” said Amy Lappin, who is also deputy director of Lebanon’s public libraries. “We started talking about it and thinking, ‘Well, this might be a nice place for people. “”
The Lapps had already planned to expand their activity. People often ask to rent part of the tavern for private events, but the current setup cannot accommodate both the busy restaurant and receptions, Amy Lappin said.
In July, the couple appeared before the Plainfield Zoning Council to seek approval for a 30-foot-by-30-foot barn that can accommodate events as well as a “one-stop accommodation unit.”
Both were given the green light, though the board said the functions were not to accommodate more than 75 people, were not to have amplified outdoor music, and end at 9 p.m.
This proposal, which also includes the addition of 22 new parking spaces, should also be submitted to the Town Planning Council.
“At this point, we think it can be moved,” Amy Lappin said of the library. “We have the ground to do it. We just have a few other things to consider.
However, some Plainfield residents questioned the deal, saying it may be possible for the city to get more for the library.
Vernon Braswell, who lives in Plainfield Village, pointed out that the nearly one-acre library property is valued at over $ 300,000, and he estimated that asbestos removal could cost $ 15,000.
“It would probably sell for a lot more given the current surge in home sales in the current market,” he wrote in a letter to city officials.
Braswell added that there was “no effort or incentive to sell the building” and criticized the city for only putting out a newspaper ad to announce its availability.
Halleran, the city administrator, and Amy Lappin took issue with the idea that there was an ongoing love agreement.
Amy Lappin said she understood Braswell’s criticisms, but no one else was stepping forward to take the building. If there was another offer, she said, she would encourage the city to explore it.
Meanwhile, Halleran said the city will not sell the land on which the library sits. This, he said, would force officials to seek a new location for the library and postpone construction.
“It seems like this is a victory for everyone,” he said of the negotiations. “The Meriden Library Project saves a bit of money (and) the library continues to be used.”
Tim Camerato can be contacted at [email protected] or 603-727-3223.
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