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Residents and some council members oppose converting former library to municipal offices
Summary
Council declined a $56,930 architectural services award to design municipal offices at the former library (46 Mount Pleasant) after residents and several council members said the space had been promised as a community/senior or library annex. Administration argued remediation and DPW relocation force staff moves.
West Orange — A proposed $56,930 contract to design interior alterations at 46 Mount Pleasant — the former library site — failed at the Township Council meeting on June 9, after residents and council members objected to turning the site into municipal office space rather than the community or senior space many said had been promised.
Residents pressed for a portion of the building to remain dedicated to the adjacent senior housing and community programs. In a written submission read into the record, Sadija Carter, property manager at West Orange Senior Housing, asked the council to “consider dedicating a portion of the former library as a community space for the seniors who call West Orange Senior Housing home,” saying even a partial annex could provide programming, meals, health screenings and social connection.
Why it mattered: Several speakers and councilmembers described the 46 Mount Pleasant space as critical for seniors who live nearby and lack accessible program space; they said converting the site to offices would remove promised community functions. Opponents called the measure a “bait and switch.” Supporters of the design contract said staff relocation is needed to enable remediation and downtown redevelopment that the township argues are necessary to reduce long-term debt pressures.
What the administration said: Staff and the mayor’s team said the township must relocate engineering, planning and public-works operations to allow remediation and eventual redevelopment of the existing DPW sites. A feasibility study presented earlier recommended consolidating permitting and engineering staff in a central office footprint; the administration said remodeling 46 Mount Pleasant was proposed in that context. Officials also noted accessibility and parking constraints at the building and discussed alternative locations for senior programming (the library basement, the ‘cat center’, or relocation of some services to Rooney Circle).
Council vote and outcome: The resolution to award the $56,930 architectural contract (resolution 162-26) failed after a roll-call vote; proponents argued the work was necessary to make progress on DPW relocation and downtown remediation, while opponents said the council should first secure written commitments about community space and exhaust alternatives that do not remove promised public benefits.
Next steps and open questions: Council members asked administration to re-engage the owner/developer on available space in the building and to provide a clearer inventory of township space that might be re-configured before approving a design contract. Residents also requested that any contract explicitly preserve or set aside accessible community space for seniors; the administration said it will report back with options.
The meeting did not produce a final agreement: staff will return with more precise proposals on alternative locations, an inventory of public space options, and any negotiations with the property owner governing what portions of the building remain available for community use.
