Park Heights Branch Library Site Selection Analysis Pre-Community Engagement Draft 6-20-2018 gant brunnett ARCHITECTS Park Heights Branch Library Site Selection Contents Starts on Page Number 1 Objective 1 2 Library Program 4 3 Selection Criteria 23 4 Reconnaissance 24 5 Study Area Analysis Area ‘A’ 30 Area ‘B’ 35 Area ‘C’ 39 Area ‘D’ 45 Area ‘E’ 51 6 Recommendations 53 gant brunnett ARCHITECTS Enoch Pratt Free Library Park Heights Branch Library- Draft Site Selection Objective The Baltimore City Department of General Services commissioned Gant Brunnett, Architects to collaborate with the City Department of Planning and the Enoch Pratt Free Library System in an effort to identify potential locations for a new Branch Library that will serve the Park Heights Community. Based upon their knowledge of ongoing community development and revitalization programs within the Park Heights area, the Planning Department recommended that this investigation focus on five key areas along Park Heights Avenue. These five study areas cover the Park Heights corridor from Keyworth Avenue north to Belvedere Avenue (see page following this section for map of the study areas). This site selection process involved the following steps to identify and prioritize potential sites within the study areas: Step 1: Develop a preliminary Facility Program Before the planning team could begin searching for the optimal location for the new library, the minimum required size of the property needed to be determined. The process utilized in calculating the minimum lot size included the following tasks: a. Develop a preliminary library facility program and create a generic building footprint based on that program. b. Calculate the parking requirements to estimate the amount of land needed c. Estimate the land area required to address storm water management facilities d. Incorporate estimates of setback and buffer requirements mandated by zoning regulations Step 2: Establish Site Selection Criteria This step identified the key factors that were used to define the characteristics and amenities needed to develop a library that would best serve the community’s need for learning services. Step 3: Reconnaissance The planning team conducted field visits to survey the Park Heights Avenue corridor for the purpose of mapping out the features and characteristics found in the existing neighborhoods that present opportunities for a new library location. With the selection criteria in hand, the team scouted for potential parcels that presented an acceptable size and geometry to accommodate the buildable area mandated by the library program. 1 | Page Enoch Pratt Free Library Park Heights Branch Library- Draft Site Selection The reconnaissance step also entailed the gathering of data related to the selection criteria such as the availability of utilities for each potential site, proximity of each site to public amenities, etc. Step 4: Study Area Analysis Public records were utilized to determine the amenities and deficiencies of each property that was identified as a potential site in the initial survey of the Park Heights Avenue corridor. Step 5: Summary Comparison and Recommendations Each of the potential sites were prioritized according to the extent that the proposed location addressed the selection criteria. Recommendations are made based upon the site that provides the best opportunity to provide the highest quality of service to the community. 2 | Page Enoch Pratt Free Library Park Heights Branch Library- Draft Site Selection Map of the Five Study Areas 3 | Page Enoch Pratt Free Library Park Heights Branch Library- Draft Site Selection 1 Library Program The development of the preliminary library program was needed to establish the size of the building that will house the proposed Park Heights Branch Library collection and support services. This required collaboration with library staff in work-session discussions to gather their input related to the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s system-wide strategic planning. The Enoch Pratt Free Library (EPFL) needed to determine where the Park Heights Branch Library’s range of services fit into the overall network of EPFL’s library facilities. Once the goals for the delivery of library services specific to the Park Heights community were established, the planning team translated those functional requirements into an architectural program of spaces. Community input will be gathered at public meetings organized by the Enoch Pratt Library and the City Planning Department where communications and consensus building related to the Library program will be orchestrated with the community stakeholders. The Collection First and foremost, the size of the proposed building will be driven by the composition of the library collection. To determine the collection size, the planning team met with the EPFL leadership and discussed the nature of the collection associated with the proposed Park Heights Branch Library in the context of the overall library system. The planning team conducted a tour of the Orleans Street Library and the Waverly Branch Library to quantify the collections at both existing libraries for the purpose of creating a baseline of collection characteristics. The team found that these two libraries offer significantly different collection inventory and programs. Orleans Street Library: Gross Building Area: 15,000 gross square feet Total Print Volumes in Collection: 18,438 The overall character of the services offered by this branch includes a strong emphasis on programs directed at learning opportunities such as computer literacy, children’s programs, and adult continuing education. Waverly Branch Library: Gross Building Area: 17,000 gross square feet Total of All Volumes in Collection: 47,000 4 | Page Enoch Pratt Free Library Park Heights Branch Library- Draft Site Selection In contrast to the Orleans Street Branch, the overall character of the services offered by the Waverly Branch involves a strong emphasis on the depth and breadth of the book collection. Park Heights Branch Program: The Collection Composition One of the critical decisions in the creation of a program for a new library facility is the determination of the learning services that will be offered. The composition of these services should be in concert with the library system’s long range strategic planning. Using the Orleans Street and the Waverly libraries as models representing the broad range of learning services; the EPFL determined that the proposed Park Heights Branch should be developed to provide the spectrum of learning services similar in nature to the Orleans Street Branch where there is a balance between traditional shelved material and the programmatic offerings. A key factor in this decision is the requirement to design a new facility that incorporates the ability to be easily adapted to the ever-changing demand for a variety of learning services that is driven by the evolving needs of the community. Preliminary Collection Inventory: Projected Volumes Total LF of Number Number Number Number Volumes / Linear Shelving of 3' of 3- of 4- of 5- on Shelf Foot Required module shelf shelf shelf Category Allowing 25% units units units over Projected Volumes Adult Browsing New Books 36 8 5.63 1.9 1 New Books (Face-Out) 18 1 22.50 7.5 2 Current Magazines 23 1 28.75 3 (Face-Out) 9.6 Current Newspapers 5 1 6.25 2.1 1 Adult Media DVDs / Films 700 30 29.17 9.7 3 Audio Books on CD 500 5 | Page Enoch Pratt Free Library Park Heights Branch Library- Draft Site Selection Projected Volumes Total LF of Number Number Number Number Volumes / Linear Shelving of 3' of 3- of 4- of 5- on Shelf Foot Required module shelf shelf shelf Category Allowing 25% units units units over Projected Volumes Adult Print Fiction Hardcover 1,500 8 234.38 78.1 20 Fiction Paperback 1,000 10 125.00 41.7 10 Large Print 100 8 15.63 5.2 1 Non-Fiction 5,000 8 781.25 260.4 65 Reference 400 6 83.33 27.8 7 Young Adult YA Current Magazines 6 1 7.50 2.5 1 YA Media 40 Fiction Hardcover 600 12 62.50 20.8 6 Fiction Paperback 400 10 50.00 16.7 4 YA Graphic 800 Non-Fiction 1,000 Children / Juvenile Children's Current 8 1 10.00 1 Magazines 3.3 Children's DVDs 150 30 6.25 2.1 1 Juvenile Audio Books 50 Juvenile Audio (Face- 20 7 3.57 1 Out) 1.2 Juvenile Fiction 1,300 13 125.00 14 Hardback 41.7 Juvenile Fiction 500 16 39.06 4 Paperback 13.0 Juvenile Graphic 200 Juvenile Non-Fiction 2,600 13 250.00 83.3 28 Children's Picture 2,200 20 137.50 16 Books 45.8 Children's Folktales 180 Children's Board Books 120 Children's Reference 50 8 7.81 2.6 1 Total Number of Shelf Units 66 124 0 6 | Page Enoch Pratt Free Library Park Heights Branch Library- Draft Site Selection Total Print Volumes in Adult & YA Collections (not including 10,800 magazines, newspapers or displays) Total Print Volumes in Childrens & Juvenile 7,150 (not including magazines or displays) Total Print Volumes 17,950 Context The concept for the new Library is a design solution that projects a strong, visual presence from the street, and displays a civic character that evokes an immediate recognition of the building as being a public library. The appearance of the library also needs to communicate that it is a welcoming place of discovery; where learning and social interaction awaits the patron. The architecture should speak to a blend of education, exploration, and entertainment. Functionality During the library design process it will be important to view the allocation of space with an eye on efficiency and flexibility. The most effective space utilization over the long term is obtained when the basis of design incorporates multi-purpose functionality. Spaces that can be easily re-purposed will be an important consideration.