Architects present Hampstead branch library design; Friends pledge $500,000 and schedule targets bidding this summer

Pender County officials and project architects told the Board of Commissioners on March 10 that the Hampstead branch library project has completed design development and is entering construction-document preparation, with bidding targeted for late summer and construction projected to begin in October.

John Sawyer of Sawyer Sherwood Architects and Troy Olsen of CLH Design presented site and building plans to the board. The team showed a site layout that places the new library adjacent to the county annex, with about 51 marked parking spaces and opportunities for shared parking between the annex and library. Architects said they had worked to preserve an existing community well buffer and are relocating a waterline to accommodate the building footprint.

Alan Phillips Bell, director of Pender County Library, acknowledged a $500,000 contribution pledged by the Friends of the Topsail Township Friends of the Library toward the project. The Friends members were introduced at the meeting.

Architects described an open interior plan modeled on modern library programming principles, including north-facing daylighting, mass timber roof structure and flexible meeting and study spaces. Sawyer said the design team worked with Rethinking Libraries, a national programming consultant, to size and configure public and staff spaces. He said the project is on schedule: construction documents are expected to be complete in June, bidding will follow, and construction could start in October, with agencies such as DOT and the Division of Environmental Quality receiving concurrent review submissions.

On technical matters, Troy Olsen said the team designed a shared stormwater regional pond between the annex and new library to control runoff and reduce site costs. Commissioners asked about window tinting and thermal performance; architects said selected glazing will include low-e coatings and some tinted south-facing windows to control heat gain.

Commissioners asked whether removing a prior building behind the sheriff's annex affected stormwater credits. Staff confirmed that removal reduced impervious surface and allowed the site to rely on the existing retention pond, lessening the need for additional stormwater infrastructure. The team said soils on-site are sandy with good infiltration, reducing stormwater improvements and costs.

The board was shown a schedule slide that places bid advertising in July–August and a contract award in September. Sawyer said the design remains on track and that the team is tracking costs to keep the project within its budget.