'Big mistake:' Edison library move on hold following uproar by Clara Barton area residents

EDISON - Plans to relocate the Clara Barton Library branch to an Amboy Avenue storefront so the library can be transformed into a space for special needs programming have been put on pause following pushback from residents.

A overflow group of residents turned out Thursday for a more than two-hour meeting with Mayor Sam Joshi at the Clara Barton First Aid Squad building to voice their support for keeping the library at its Hoover Avenue location.

Residents called plans to relocate the library everything from ''a big mistake" to "a terrible idea."

"Moving our library out of its 50-year space will kill it," one resident said, while others maintained the library is the heart of the Clara Barton neighborhood and also serves as a community center, where staff members know patrons by name.

Joshi said communication with residents about the plan to relocate the library could have been better and his administration miscalculated residents' response, especially when the parents of special needs children were so supportive.

Nonetheless, Joshi said there is no final decision on moving the library and he would "put things on hold" for now and see what alternatives are available.

More:Edison's Clara Barton Library closed to prepare for move to new location

Clara Barton residents, meanwhile, said it's unfair to pit them against special needs parents because they support the idea for a special needs program but believe there has to be a better location in the 30-square mile township.

Joshi said the library is not the only location being considered. He seemed interested in a resident's suggestion of having the special needs program located near the Middlesex College campus site where the county already has plans for a multipurpose community venue, new community park and student center and athletic complex.

Joshi also said he liked the idea of a new community center with a library on Amboy Avenue.

Last year Joshi announced plans, created in partnership with the Edison Library Board, to relocate the Clara Barton Branch Library to retail space on Amboy Avenue and transform the library building into a recreational facility for youth with special needs.

Residents however argue the Amboy Avenue site is smaller, has high traffic and little parking and is next to the noisy New Jersey Turnpike.

The plan called for the facility to allow children and young adults with disabilities, especially those on the autism spectrum, multiple disabilities and other health impairments, to socialize, play and build life skills at the facility. The facility is envisioned as a program space, not a school, officials said.

The second floor of the building was slated to be converted into a sensory gym with equipment that includes trampolines, tactile features and more to create an educational and stimulating space for programming and free play for students with disabilities.

Joshi said parents of special needs children need programs for the summer and a sensory gym makes a big difference to those children. While Joshi said he had spoken with some school district leaders about the plan, some board members said they were unaware.

Township officials have said the Clara Barton library location was selected because it is not heavily used, a point residents refute.

More:Edison residents want answers why Clara Barton Library is moving

Joshi believes relocating the library to Amboy Avenue would increase patronage, because the existing location has limited parking. Residents argued the Amboy Avenue site also has limited parking.

"We are of the opinion if we fill vacant spaces we can create more walking traffic," said Joshi who is looking to maximize services and make the library used by everyone.

"The move is because you want the building. The decision to move lies with the Library Board of Trustees. The decision to repurpose the library was presented as a done deal," said Clara Barton resident Sue Malone Barber.

Malone Barber and other residents expressed concern that if library building is taken away from the library board's control it could end up in the hands of a developer.

Malone Barber said while Joshi has agreed to put the library move on pause, he still wants the Township Council to go forward with a resolution to start the process to solicit a bid out for a third party to run the special needs facility. She said Joshi did not answer her question about asking the library board to stop looking for a leased space.

"I think it's going to be a marathon fight, unfortunately," she said. "We have really big concerns about moving that library. We don't see any reason why a township our size has to trade off special needs programming for a decent library in our neighborhood."

W. Keith McCoy, who has served as a library director in several Central Jersey communities, including as interim director in Edison, said the Clara Barton library needs to move because there is not a lot of use by the community.

McCoy said the library hours were increased, the building painted, computers and furniture replaced and still there was not a huge uptick in use.

"It's a lousy location for a library," he said. "A library is a convenience, if you drive by you will stop. There is no foot traffic, no street traffic. New libraries are put where they are seen to increase use. I think anything is better than the present location."

Email: srussell@gannettnj.com

Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Edison library move on hold following uproar by Clara Barton residents