Selectmen Search For Use of East Milton Library

In the four months since the Milton Board of Selectmen took control of the East Milton Branch of the library at Town Meeting, it has yet to come up with a use for it.  At their September 2 meeting the board implored the community in attendance, watching on TV and those reading about it in the media to please come to them with ideas on what should be done with the building and what the neighborhood concerns are when the property is put to use.

The Board asks for anyone's solutions, long or short term solutions. The largest problem they stated is limited space and zoning. The building is not large, the parking lot is small and it's zoned mainly for library, but could be used in other ways if the person gains permits from the board of zoning appeals.

Chair Marion McEttrick said, "I know two nursery schools have inquired about the building and a couple of businesses." She added, "…may discus an RFP at our meeting on September 16th." At the meeting the Board also brought up the prospect of leasing it out as office space for start up businesses.

At the board's September 2 meeting, some residents spoke out concerning the traffic a school or business would create at the location, which has been vacant for over a year.  Those who live close by complained that people already use side-street parking to shop at local businesses and that some street construction has caused back ups on Grafton Avenue. This issue would be of particular interest because the vacant library has no street parking.

McEttrick said, "There have been no problems with the vacant building as far as I know."

The 126 year old library has only been vacant since the opening of the renovated library on Canton Avenue, last year.  The East Milton branch stayed open and the Kidder Branch on Blue HIlls Parkway was re-opened, to accommodate the relocated library operation during that time. The Kidder branch has since been leased by a nursery school.

McEttrick said that usage at the Canton Avenue branch was up by a very substantial amount and the trustees wanted to add Sunday hours, rather than keep a few hours at the East Milton Branch as well as pay for building maintenance. The yearly cost of which is $6,000. So they voted to close the East Milton Branch, which had been a part time operation for years.  

Last May Town Meeting moved responsibility for the building from the Library to the Board of Selectmen.