Senoia’s long-awaited new library came a step closer to reality Tuesday when Coweta County Library Board of Trustees approved a recommendation for the placement of the structure on property along Pylant Street and across the dirt driveway from Merri Mac Lake. Construction on the $1.7 million project is still likely to be 12-18 months away.

Coweta Library System Director Barbara Osborne-Harris said the board was receptive to the proposed placement of the new building and voted to approve the recommendation made by K.A. Oldham Design, Inc.

“So we can move the project to the next level,” Osborne-Harris said. The next steps include approval from the state library system, then on to Coweta County Commission for approval of the site preparation work. She said it is too early to develop specific timelines for the project, though they should be ready in 3-4 months. Osborne-Harris said the architectural design could be complete in 6 months or less, followed by a site review and bid process, perhaps in about 8 months.

“We may or may not be ready to start construction in 12-18 months,” she said.

Though not addressing elevation issues at this point, the design by Kip Oldham dealt specifically with the placement of the library on the 1-acre site near the entrance to Merri Mac Lake off Pylant Street. The library will come in at approximately 5,000 square feet, Osborne-Harris said.

As approved by the board of trustees, the library, likely to be a wood-frame structure, will have the rear portion of the building below grade with rear windows positioned 6-8 feet above the floor and shelving.

Funds for the project have been in place for some time. Osborne-Harris said $1.2 million in funding for the $1.7 million project comes from state sources that can only be used for construction and equipment. Another $500,000 comes from a previous Coweta County Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax initiative. An additional $250,000 comes from Senoia. Osborne-Harris said some of Senoia’s funds can be used to purchase books.

Looking to the future, Osborne-Harris said another topic at the meeting was the idea of potential future expansion. Oldham told board members that, given its positioning on the site, the library could be expanded in the future to include up to 50 percent more square footage. Doing so, however, would mean relocating the parking area, Osborne-Harris said.

Meantime, the county’s other library project in Grantville could see construction activity in the next three months, Osborne-Harris said.

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