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Home » Contra Costa Supervisors Seek To Relocate Historical Documents When Pleasant Hill Library Closes

Contra Costa Supervisors Seek To Relocate Historical Documents When Pleasant Hill Library Closes

by CLAYCORD.com
15 comments

Contra Costa County staff challenged a civil grand jury finding during Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting that there is no adequate plan for relocating a collection of local historical documents currently housed at the Pleasant Hill Library when it closes next year.

The library’s planned closure generated a small but sustained controversy once library users discovered the county planned to demolish the existing library before construction is completed on a replacement facility.

That led to a grand jury investigation that erroneously concluded that an irreplaceable collection of historical documents had gotten lost in the shuffle. County staff challenged that finding at Tuesday’s meeting,
citing tentative plans to transfer the collection to a local historical society.

The existing library structure is more than 50 years old and needs an estimated $10 million in deferred maintenance, according to the grand jury. The land underneath it is valuable and a new library can be constructed
nearby, but the timing is a problem.

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“A pressing issue is that the county Board of Supervisors decided to close the Pleasant Hill branch a year and a half before the new facility is scheduled to open,” the grand jury wrote.

District 4 Supervisor Karen Mitchoff, who represents Pleasant Hill, has repeatedly stated that the highest and best use of that county-owned property is to sell it to housing developers before the Bay Area’s red-hot real estate market cools off.

Karen Yapp and Dick Offerman, however, have taken up the current library’s cause. They frequently appear at meetings of the Pleasant Hill City Council and the county Board of Supervisors to advocate against closing the
existing library before the new one is ready to move into.

They’ve argued that the existing facility provides an invaluable resource to parents and families, with literacy programming aimed at young children and a safe after-school space for adolescents.

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The grand jury, however, focused on the library’s climate-controlled vault. There are no plans to replace it, but the jury found that the Contra Costa Historical Society has the resources and facilities to take on stewardship of the library’s collection, as well as a willingness to do so.

In their response to the grand jury’s report, county officials indicated that this possibility requires further analysis. During open discussion on the matter, Mitchoff asked County Librarian Melinda Cervantes if they were confident that a plan could be devised by the time the Pleasant Hill Library closes in 2020.

“We expect to have a recommendation by September,” Cervantes said.

In other matters, the supervisors also approved a plan to let Habitat for Humanity construct 29 townhouses along a bus route in Bay Point.

The 2.4-acre lot is at the intersection of Driftwood Drive and Pacifica Avenue.

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“That led to a grand jury investigation that erroneously concluded that an irreplaceable collection of historical documents had gotten lost in the shuffle.”

I’m confused, or perhaps more so than normal. How did the GJ erroneously conclude the docs had ‘gotten lost in the shuffle’ when it also concluded that the CCHS was willing to take the docs?

And if these irreplaceable docs have been stored in a climate controlled vault, why does the new $$$$ 25,000 sq ft library proposal lack a climate controlled vault? And would the CCHS maintain permanent control of the docs, or would ownership/storage revert to the new PH library when it is completed and opened? I would think they should remain at the PH library and properly stored in a climate controlled vault. A document expert could render an opinion on proper storage conditions.

I can’t image what else is going to happen with the PH Library Soap Opera.

I can imagine some of it. The new land owners are going to happily start building. Then a bunch of things will happen to delay the building of the new library. It will be “discovered” that the 2 ft of soil to be added to make the library site above water level will not be enough. More height will be needed and major grading of the area required to protect PH Middle school from innundation. This includes redoing Monticello ave. The money for construction will not be enough and it will stall. Battles will take place over library features that will need to be eliminated, like the maker space and book sorting automation. A lot of “but we were promised” kind of arguments will ensue. The parking will be inadequate since the lots will also be used by the new apartment dwellers and the sports fields. A smaller cheaper library will open in 2024. Sigh.

Too late… the red hot housing market is already cooling off. Might as well leave the library open until the new one is done.

Its been reported that all of Cowellian’s original writings, which are housed at the library, will be scanned to Microfiche.

ON NO!!!

Peace.

The historic documents are available for the public in the library, correct? Will they also be readily available to the public at the Historic Society? If not, this is tantamount to turning public resources into private. Some items may have been donated with condition that they stay public-ally accessible, this would invalidate those donations. This might be more than just a timing problem to unravel. As the on going response from the public has indicated, not enough though, planning, and community education and involvement happened prior to the announcement of this plan. Now the hard work of re-establishing trust needs to happen.

Mitchoff does NOT have the best interest of Pleasant Hill in mind with her decisions. Never had, never will. Money money money.

Mitoff’s only interest is her own. She needs to get run out of PH and the county.

Mitchoff is obviously getting her cut
And pushing this through secures more (donations ) for her campaign
Still do not understand how politicians can take Bribes and not go to jail
After all it is tax money they are playing with and by useing our money and facilities to play their games and then get payed and get donations a double dip even before the actual shady cash rolls in

Thank you Contra Costa Historical Society,

There is a treasure trove of local history in our PH library vault.

Used to be that you could enter the vault and take your item to a nearby table, but not remove it from the library itself.

These were considered “reference” material and not available for loan.

History is worth saving. Thanks again CCHS.

I haven’t seen the recent renderings for the new building – is the City including a vault in their new building?

CCHS is free and open to the public. LOTS and lots of resources available there.

If memory serves me right (ok, often it doesn’t), didn’t the county have this same issue a few years back when remodeling another library? Didn’t they choose a storage place over in Richmond with expertise in preserving old documents???

Have complete Faith and TRUST in CoCo Grand Jury.

I though the historical societies in Martinez are all looking for more space?? Will everything get re-homed in PH library when it is finally rebuilt? KM is being her normal self. Money money money. Will someone finally prove that we aren’t deaf dumb and blind, and vote for someone NEW??

I will selflessly take custody of these documents if the county pays my PG&E bill until the new library is built. You’re welcome.

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