March 8, 2005

Mayor and City Council
CC: City Manager and Jan Townsend, NDC

Dear Mayor and Council:

The Friends of the Mount Rainier Library applaud your initiative to plan for construction 
of a new civic building at 3409 Rhode Island Avenue.  We agree that the steps of the process 
have so far  been logical ones, and we look forward to the next steps being taken expeditiously.  
We are writing this note to answer the important question posed in the March 10 planning meeting 
about where the library should be located in the new building.

Several FOL Board Members attended the March 10 architect’s presentation and subsequent 
roundtable discussion.  Other Board members have been briefed on the presentation, supplied 
with concept drawings, and polled on the question about library location in the building.  
Based on this information, as well as on discussions with FOL architect Ralph Bennett and 
with top management of the Prince George’s County Library System (PGCMLS), and on our several 
years study of small public libraries nationwide and visits to many libraries in Prince George’s 
County and other parts of Maryland, Members of the FOL Board unanimously agree (and agree with PGCMLS) that the new Library should be located on the street-level of the new building.

Further, we agree with PGCMLS that the maximum possible footprint (without on-site parking) 
should be used for the Library, which apparently would be about 3,100 gross square feet.  
Also, we agree that, if possible, it would be highly desirable to have a meeting room 
(30-person capacity) located on another floor that is controlled by the City but available 
to the Library for programs for older children and adults.  Additionally, we agree that the 
Library needs to have a ceiling height of about 15 feet and that natural daylighting and other 
green design features should be incorporated.

Also, PGCMLS again stresses its commitment to staffing the branch at its current level, 
as noted in a previous letter to the City.

Again many thanks to the Mayor and Council for this important initiative.  
We look forward to the next steps.