After more than three months of debate, the Senoia City Council has decided on a site for its new library.

By a 4-1 vote, the council decided to place the building in the city’s Seavy Street park. The other option, supported by City Councilman Larry Owens, would have placed the library downtown next to City Hall.

City administrator Richard Ferry framed the debate over the two sites as a decision concerning development.

“Do you want to use this as economic development for downtown or to try and redevelop the park?” he told the City Council.

Totsie McKnight, who heads up the library board, said she was concerned about sound, security and safety at the park. McKnight lives near a train track, similar to the one next to the park, and said at least 17 trains go by each day.

Her husband, Paul McKnight, also offered the city a site on Gin Street that would allow the library to be kept downtown.

But Librarian Aime Scarbrough was concerned about moving it to the small lot next to City Hall.

“We need to put is somewhere big enough that we could expand it. I wish we could do it downtown, but it doesn’t seem there’s enough space,” she said.

In the end, the City Council agreed with the librarian and voted for the park site. Mayor Robert Belisle said the park offered more parking opportunities and a bigger area to expand the library in the next few years.

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