Beaumont Library Measure M to Preserve Last Carnegie Library in County

The streets were not paved and there were no sidewalks when Riverside County’s last Carnegie Library was built in 1914 with a $10,000 donation from Andrew Carnegie.

It was the first permanent home for Beaumont Library District, which was established by a public vote in 1911 before women had the right to vote and a year before the City of Beaumont was incorporated.

A special district, independent of both city and county government, Beaumont Library was founded to serve a 60-square-mile area that includes both Beaumont and Cherry Valley and is overseen by a 5-member, elected Board of Trustees.

The only change to the library building in 108 years was an addition built in 1965 when the district population was about 6,000. Beaumont Library now serves over 60,000 residents from the same 11,700 square-foot structure that has not been updated or expanded since.

Despite rapid growth in the region, Beaumont Library District has never received a single dollar in impact fees from the thousands of homes built over the past few decades and has never before asked the public for additional funding.

To better serve the community, a plan for a 30,000 square-foot facility was developed over the past decade. With an estimated cost of over $22 million, the Library Board made the decision during the summer to place Measure M on the November 8 ballot to raise the funds necessary to complete the proposed project.

If approved by a two-thirds vote, Measure M would allow Beaumont Library to issue as much as $24 million in construction bonds over a 25 to 30-year period. The cost to property owners would $9.70 per $100,000 in assessed valuation during that time span.

The proposed building plan would save and preserve the historic Carnegie, which is the oldest, continuously operating library from the same structure in Riverside County and the last remaining Carnegie library.

The poorly built 1965 addition would be removed and replaced by a new 2-story building that would be connected to the Carnegie and have many matching features.

The expansion would resolve numerous critical maintenance and life safety issues by providing for:

• More and better parking spaces
• A sidewalk-level main entrance
• ADA-accessibility of the library interior
• A central HVAC system to replace 5 separate units
• Installation of security surveillance cameras
• Addition of fire suppression sprinklers
• Expansion and modernization of public restrooms
• Upgrading of insulation and electrical wiring
• Updating of technology infrastructure
• Retrofitting for earthquake safety

Perhaps more importantly, the new design would include the spaces and features needed to better serve the public, including:

• A large community room with a full kitchen for public use
• Engaging and educational spaces for children, teens, and adults
• Larger collections to promote early reading and lifelong learning
• Small study rooms for groups, tutors and independent use
• A Friends of the Library bookstore and gift shop
• A centrally located elevator and staircase
• A training lab for classes in computer use and other subjects
• A maker space with a professional audio-video studio
• A café area with vending machines serving snacks and drinks
• A gated reading garden centered on an historic live oak tree
• Comfortable lounge seating with beautiful views
• Local history and quiet reading rooms

In September, Beaumont Library was awarded a $4.8 million dollar “Building Forward” construction grant from the State Library, which requires a 50% local match of $2.4 million.

Should Measure M be approved November 8, a portion could be used to cover the local match for the grant. Likewise, the grant funds could possibly reduce the need to issue all of the bonds that would be available, thus reducing the cost to property owners.

Rising inflation and skyrocketing construction costs have seen estimates for Beaumont Library’s proposed plan rise over 20% in the past year. In the end, the grant funds could provide a safety cushion for the project, which would take 18 months or longer to complete once ground is broken.

The only know opposition to Measure M is the county chapter of the Libertarian Party, which routinely opposes every tax-related issue statewide.

A campaign committee, Yes on M for Beaumont Library, was formed to support Measure M. Community leader Brian Sylva, an elected member of the San Jacinto College Board, is committee Chair. Former Beaumont City Council member, Dr. Della Condon, serves as committee Treasurer.

Other prominent endorsements have come from longtime, active community residents, Lynn Bogh Baldi and Mickey Valdivia. Measure M is also supported by BUSD Board President Steven Hovey, BUSD Board member Shawn Mitchell, and BUSD Superintendent May Kakish.

Others that have endorsed Measure M, include the Beaumont Teachers Association, City Council Member Rey Santos, Park District Manager Duane Burk, Chamber of Commerce Manager Bette Rader, and Friends of Beaumont Library.

For more information, check out "30 Days, 30 Reasons Why Measure M is Needed for Beaumont Library" on Beaumont Library's website (bld.lib.ca.us), Facebook page, or Instagram page.

And remember to vote on November 8, if not earlier!!