Engage. Carnation Library 2007 Community Study Turn to us. The choices will surprise you. CONTENTS COMMUNITY OVERVIEW Executive Summary ......................................................................................... 1 Carnation Community History ............................................................................ 1 History of the Carnation Library ......................................................................... 2 Carnation Library Service Area Today ................................................................. 2 Geography & Wildlife .............................................................................. 3 Growth & Development ........................................................................... 3 Business & Employment .......................................................................... 4 Education, Schools & Children.................................................................. 4 Parks & Recreation ................................................................................. 6 The Library Today and Tomorrow ....................................................................... 7 COMMUNITY STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................... 8 BOARD PRESENTATION SLIDES MAPS • Carnation Aerial • Carnation Library Circulation (July 2007) • Carnation Library Circulation (September 2007) • Carnation PC Booking (September 2007) APPENDICES • Demographic Summary • School Statistics • School Test Scores • Race in Service Area • Age in Service Area • Languages Spoken at Home • Occupational Profile • Home Sales in Service Area • Sources COMMUNITY OVERVIEW EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Carnation is a rural small town in a pastoral setting of agricultural lands and forested hills. Most of the commercial buildings on the main street and many houses throughout town date from the earliest decades of the last century. Barns dot the surrounding landscape. The City limits and population are small, having been restricted by growth management policies and the desire of the residents to maintain a small town atmosphere. The surrounding unincorporated area, which the library also serves, has seen steady development and population increase. With the completion of the public sewer system in Carnation in early 2008, the town anticipates new growth within the city limits. Despite its size limitations, the centrally located library is well used by the community it serves, particularly by children, young families and the schools. The new library, scheduled to open in 2008, is part of a five library, Design Build project funded by the 2004 Capital bonds. The 5,000-square-foot building will be more than twice the size of the current library and will contain additional work spaces and seating for relaxed reading. This new library provides KCLS an opportunity to meet future demand and to provide an enhanced level of service to library users for years to come. CARNATION COMMUNITY HISTORY In the mid-nineteenth century, a large Native American village, Toltxw, Snoqualmie for "swift rushing waters" stood at the junction of the Tolt and Snoqualmie Rivers. This village was the home and administrative center for the Snoqualmie Tribe, the largest branch of the Coast Salish Indians under Chief Patkanim. In 1855, the primarily peaceable Snoqualmie people assisted a company of soldiers to build four stockades in the Snoqualmie Valley to guard against attack from hostile tribes east of the Cascades. In 1858, one of those soldiers became the first permanent white settler in the area by filing a 160-acre land claim. During the next two decades, more settlers arrived to set up homesteads and logging operations. Eventually, camps and mills gave way to farms producing cash crops of milk, hay, hops and hogs, all taken to market either by the long water route down the Snoqualmie to Snohomish, or over land through Redmond and Kirkland, and then by ferry to Seattle. The town of Tolt was platted in 1902; in 1910 the railroads arrived and expanded markets for both loggers and farmers. According to the Seattle Times, when the city incorporated in 1912, there was a population of 340, with two hotels, a saloon, a variety store, a Ford 1 automobile dealership and a movie theater. The town featured wooden sidewalks with overhanging, second-story balconies along Tolt Avenue. The two hotel owners brought guests from Seattle in mule-powered, three-seat buckboards to enjoy the fine fishing and hiking in the area. This period of growth came to a close with the Great Depression when many small family farms failed and rail service through the Valley ended. It wasn't until the 1970s that Carnation once again began to grow as new residents came seeking low-cost housing and a rural lifestyle. In the decades between 1970 and 2000, the Carnation area, along with the entire Snoqualmie Valley, had some of the highest growth rates in King County. HISTORY OF THE CARNATION LIBRARY In 1922, 28 motivated women formed the Tolt Civic Improvement Club to establish a public library. By August 1924, they opened the Carnation Library with about 600 books. Their innovative fundraising efforts, such as formal silver teas, rummage sales and magazine subscription sales, provided for all library expenses. One member wrote a weekly news article for the local paper and contributed her earnings for 38 years. When enough money had been raised, the Club purchased a vacant building for $300. The library building itself was moved three times, each time to make way for new construction in the growing town. In 1947, the Club began to contract with KCLS for library books and salaries. Steady community support for library services led to passage of the 1966 bond issue which, along with donations and federal matching funds, provided $88,000 for the present building and its opening collection of 8,000 volumes. Nine of the original 28 members of the Tolt Civic Improvement Club attended the opening celebration on March 12, 1972. The Carnation Library was renovated, but not expanded, in 1991, with new carpet and furniture. In 1992, residents in the town successfully voted to annex to the Library District. Demand for library services and resources continued to grow and 74.8% of Carnation residents voted to pass the Capital Bond measure in 2004, the highest passage rate of all cities served by KCLS. The Friends of the Carnation Library advocated for the measure and actively contributed to these positive election results. CARNATION LIBRARY SERVICE AREA TODAY The Carnation Library's service area includes the City of Carnation and the surrounding areas of unincorporated King County. Because of its central location in the Snoqualmie Valley, Carnation has long been home to many agencies that serve the entire Snoqualmie Valley, including Sno-Valley Hopelink with a food bank and health clinic, Sno- Valley Senior Center, Snoqualmie Tribal Headquarters and the Riverview School District. 2 Carnation's population is predominately white (93.4%) compared to King County (75.7%). Numbers of foreign-born and non-English speakers are both smaller than the County average. Income within the city limits is higher than King County average ($60,156 versus $53,157 per household) but the average income in the area is higher yet ($75,741). Median home values in Carnation have historically been lower than the King County average, but recently have increased to $448,000 (versus $425,000). The average selling price of homes in Carnation for the last four months was $590,797 (Carnation Home Sales Statistics). The population of Carnation's service area is now estimated to be 14,901 people, with 1,905 living within the city limits (Berk & Associates, 2007). A total of 4,864 cardholders list Carnation as their home library. In addition to the patrons residing within the service area, smaller, but significant groups visit the library from other areas, mainly bicyclists, camp counselors and farm interns. Each of these groups has distinct service needs, ranging from Story Times, homework help, internet access, local history research and after school recreation to use of the restrooms and water fountain. GEOGRAPHY & WILDLIFE Carnation lies 30 miles east of Seattle, in a broad valley where the Tolt River flows into the Snoqualmie River. Forested hills rise on the east and west edges of the valley with the peaks of the Cascades rising further east. This geography of rivers and steep hills contributes to Carnation's isolation in several ways. Storms and downed trees cause frequent power outages. Severe flooding, exacerbated by upstream development, can cut residents off for days at a time, as occurred in the winter of 2006. Transportation through Carnation is also limited by geography. Public transportation is limited to two commuter van routes with low ridership. Tolt Avenue, the only route into or out of Carnation passes over bridges at each end that are subject to flooding. This two-lane state highway bisects the city and decreases cross-town mobility. Although the speed limit slows from 55 to 30 MPH as it passes through town, the high volume of traffic cutting through the middle of town has created concerns about pedestrian and bicycle safety. To address these issues, the City is moving toward a more pedestrian-friendly downtown commercial district by implementing design guidelines for building facades, sidewalks and pedestrian pathways. Some of these elements include benches, street trees, flower planters and sidewalk curb bulbs to create a buffer between pedestrians and traffic. This "town square" central