Clinton News-Record, 1974-11-21, Page 17The old library would be converted into a municipal office and police station ac- office would be located on the second floor. The renovations would cost about
cording to the plan. The police would. use the basement, with a garage added
$400,000 and would include demolition of the old Town Hall. (sketch by Tillman
on to the back . The municipal offices and meeting rooms would be located on and Lamb Architects)
the main floor and the council chambers and court room along with the judges
said that "aggressive com-
munities will be left to run
their own show."
Mrs. Frank Finland of Clin-
ton asked, "Have we
thoroughly gone into the uses
of the old Town Hall?"
Deputy-Reeve Frank Cook
replied that council was just
seeking the opinion of the
people, and this plan hadn't
obligated the council to do
anything yet.
Mayor Symons said the
program could be carried out
over a five year period but
asked, "Are we (council)
making a step in the right
direction? We want the voters'
opinions."
Florence Pullen of Clinton
asked if the new building on
Victoria Street wouldn't clash
with the architecture of Wesley-
Willis United Church to the
north. Mr. Tillmann replied he
didn't think so because each
building would have its own ar-
chitectural period.
"Red" Garon of Clinton said
that parking would be a
problem around the new senior
citizens building and library
because it was close to the post
office and space would be at a
premium with all three in use
during the day, Mr. Tillmann
said that would he a problem,
but could be overcome by a
future council.
Reg Thompson of Clinton
asked if the town was capable
of paying for the new scheme
and Councillor Don Hall said
that the experts had to come in
because "we have to start with
some kind of proposal."
In an interview the next day,
Clinton Police Chief Lloyd
Westlake said that there would
have to be quite a few changes
made in the plans if the
renovation of the old Library
was carried out. According to
the plan unveiled .last week, the
continued on page 5
This is the ground floor plan of the proposed complex that voters will have a chance to decide
on on December 2. The library is as large as the present library space and there is also a full
basement underneath that has not been designated for any use, (plan by Tillman and Lamb)
Each of the entrances to the senior citizens' centre arid the
library would face either King or Victoria Street. Each side
would give Separate access depending on which place one
desired.
Cooper
(sketch
Council thinks that a $25,000 grant form
of England could be used to help build the
by Tillmann and Lamb)
from A,T.
structure.
04
Clinton, Ontario
Second Section
Thursday, November 21, 1974 109th Year-47
W4,0000%,1~10.00•W•00.0.,..
Opinion poll may decide
New town complex receives mixed reaction
A
There was mixed reaction last
Wednesday night (Nov. 1a)
when a new plan for a three
phase municipal project was
unveiled before nearly 100 per-
sons at a Clinton ratepayers
meeting at the old Town Hall.
The plan was unveiled by the
outgoing Clinton council, all of
whom are running again in the
upcoming December 2
municipal election, and all of
whom have pledged themselves
to the plan,
Wilfred Lamb of the London
Architectural firm of Tillman
and Lamb showed sketches,
plans and a model of the
proposed scheme and answered
dozens of questions from the
audience, most of whom were
Clinton taxpayers.
Basically, the plan would be
done in three phases. The first
part would entail building a
new senior citizens' hall and
library on land the town now
owns on Victoria Street, run-
ning to King Street, behind
Wesley-Willis United Church.
That would cost $400,000,
The second phase would see
extensive renovations carried
out on the present library,
which was built in 1905. It
would be used for municipal of-
fices, police offices and would
include court room facilities,
Cost of renovations were set at
$396,000.
The third phase would see
the demolition of the old Town
Hall and the site turned into a
park.
Mr. Lamb said that the total
cost, $796,000, did not include
the, cost of k, moveable fur-
nishings, nor` mofessional fees,
and in addition, it would cost
an additional 11 /2 per cent per
month in construction costs if
the current economic trend of
inflation continues.
Clintonians will get a chance
to vote on the matter in the up-
coming Dec. 2 municipal elec-
tions, but it will strickly be an
opinion poll and will not force
council to act one way or
another.
Mayor Don Symons, along
with all of the present council,
was at the meeting, said that
council had the study done to
be able to present something
concrete to the voters, Council,
he said, hadn't intended to go
ahead with the scheme, they
just wanted to put forward a
solution and see what other
suggestions they could get from
the ratepayers.
Earlier this year, London
engineer James F. MacLaren
Ltd. conducted a study into the
old Town Hall and said in a
report dated July 2 that it
would cost about $400,000 to
fix up the old Town Hall and
between $175,000 and $250,000
to build a new town hall,
depending on the facilities wan-
ted.
Mr. Lamb said last week he
"questioned the historical
value" of the old Town Hall
and also its inefficient use of
space.
Mr. Lamb said that the
present library is an "architec-
tural gem," but it is set well
back and 'doesn't get the
prominence it deserves.
He admitted under
questioning from Duff Thomp-
son that the old Town Hall
isn't totally unsound but that
he hadn't investigated that
area as thoroughly as he had
the old library.
Mr. Lamb said that no mat-
ter what was decided, the old
Library needed work on it to
keep it from falling down. He
said that some of -the-footings
were sagging and some of the
plaster was in danger of falling
in. He said tearing down the
old Town Hall would enhance
the old library once it was
renovated.
Mr. Tillman said that ar-
chives could also be combined
with the new library and senior
citizens' centre, enabling the
town to save mementos and
records of the past.
Mayor Don Symons, when
asked by several members of
the audience, said that the
total costs of both the new
proposal and the study on the
old Town Hall had cost Clinton
about $10,000 so far, but he
said it was worth a little money
in order to save spending hun-
dreds of thousands of dollars
and finding out later that a
mistake was made.
In May of this year, Gordon
Duern of Clinton, an architect
and designer, had offered his
services free to the town to
design and help renovate the
old Town Hall so it would
blend in with the rest of the ar-
chitecture of the main street.
Council at the May session
gave Mr, Duern permission to
go ahead and have a survey
done on the property, and in
principal agreed with his
scheme.
Council then went ahead and
hired the London ,architects
who called Mr. Duern's
proposal "well intended" but
they hoped that Clinton "would
not destroy the integrity of its
historical quality by erecting a
Cape tod "A & P" amongst its
significant buildings."
Mr. Duern then withdrew his
offer until the town decided
what course it wanted 'to
follow. Council then requested
that Tillman and Lamb to do a
study that was shown last
week.
Ross Livermore of Clinton
wondered. at last week's
meeting about the total cost of
the new scheme. "I can't' see -
how the town can afford it," he,
said.
Mrs. Mary Divok of Clinton
wondered if 'it was feasible to
renovate the old library if
regional government was
coming in in a few years
anyway.
Mayor Symons replied that
there might be area govern-
ment, but not regional, and he
included in the proposed senior Citizens' and library complex
are three Courtyards where persons could relax and be
removed from the Outside trafflO noise. This artist's sketch
shows how ono of the courtyards would look from ground
levet. (eketth by Tillmann arid Lamb)
This is a model of the proposed $396,000 senior Citizens'
recreation complex and library that would be built on town
owned land between King and Victoria Street, behind Wesley
Willis United Church, This view looks north towards Wesley-
Willis, which is not shown, The building is a Single Storey af.
fair and would include an archive as well, (modal by Tillrnarin
arid Lamb)