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Council directs study of outdoor patio, expansion and archive options after library needs assessment
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Summary
A consultant presented a community needs assessment for the Manhattan Beach Library; council directed the library commission to develop options for an outdoor patio, potential building expansion, archival storage solutions and coordination with county set-aside funds and parking solutions.
The Manhattan Beach City Council received a yearlong community needs assessment for the Manhattan Beach Library and unanimously directed the city library commission to develop more detailed options for council consideration.
Grace Ng Nadel, president of Arroyo Associates, presented findings that the library is highly used but below county guidelines in physical collection size and has constraints in seating, study rooms and staff workspace. The report recommended immediate improvements — including HVAC upgrades and furniture replacement — and longer-term steps such as developing the underused back patio into a multifunctional outdoor space, increasing books and programming, and exploring parking partnerships with the county.
"The library is well liked and utilized," Grace Ng Nadel said, summarizing the consultant’s principal findings. She noted parking limitations downtown reduce access for some residents and that the county library set-aside funds (staff cited a current balance of about $14.6 million) create options for capital or operating investments.
Council discussion focused on a menu of possibilities: a modest expansion to add study rooms or an indoor addition, better activation of the outdoor patio for programming, a satellite or leased East Side location for study space or pick-up services, and climate-controlled archival storage for the Manhattan Beach Historical Society. Martha Andreani, president of the Historical Society, urged council to prioritize a viable long-term storage solution and said the society was exploring the Poliwog Park restroom footprint as a possible storage site.
Councilmember Charnay made a motion, seconded and approved 5-0, directing the city library commission to develop options that include studies of: (1) outdoor patio enhancements and minimal expansions; (2) feasibility and rough-budget estimates for adding steady indoor study space or an expansion; (3) archival storage options (both on-site footprint replacement and off-site alternatives); and (4) coordination with county staff about eligible uses of set-aside funds and possible parking partnerships such as Lot 3 nexus or shared parking/shuttle solutions.
Staff will return with refined options and cost estimates so the council may prioritize uses from the library set-aside funds and identify next steps.
