Library election: where’s the new building?

It sits on a narrow lot and it accommodates 23 cars, but it serves Lawrence, Cedarhurst, Inwood, Atlantic Beach, and parts of Woodmere. For years, there has been talk of a new building: a former school site next door, the parking lot of the Lawrence train station, and the Temple Israel property. The Peninsula Public Library in Lawrence remains in its half century-old building as plans for a new site remain stalled.

“We’ve been trying to get a new site, but it’s not getting anywhere. We’ve been hampered and it feels like our feet are getting chopped off,” said Stanley Nussbaum, 80, the library’s treasurer. “The village is not approving the variances needed.”

The library shares its district with School District 15, which in recent years has been marked by contentious school board elections that highlighted tensions between Orthodox board members and parents opposing their membership on the board. Being a quiet place, the library election is relatively tame, but not without sharp barbs.

“I’m from Brooklyn and I’ve seen good libraries. This library is depressing. It’s a place where you grab a book and run out,” said Cedarhurst resident Jeffrey Leb, 32, who is challenging Nussbaum in the election. “Look at the Woodmere-Hewlett library, why can’t our library be like that library?”

Leb attacked Nussbaum for the library’s attempt to secure the Lawrence train station parking lot. “They spent money planning it out, but they needed to look for the problems. It’s like doing a title search when you purchase a home,” Leb said.

Lawrence village trustee Michael Fragin said that Lawrence alone should not be blamed for the library’s shortcomings. “They need to go to the MTA for a waiver, the village is not a party to this. They did not do their homework on the site,” Fragin said. A restrictive covenant on the site limited development to transportation-related projects.

Leb argued that the waste of $30,000 on an impossible site demonstrates the incumbents’ inability to spend wisely. Nussbaum said that while the building is small, it has numerous programs and is open seven days a week, operating for 12 hours every Monday through Thursday. A local resident since 1969, Nussbaum became a trustee in 2009, but his previous local leadership includes the Five Towns Democratic Club and Five Towns Jewish Council.

In contrast, Leb is relatively new to Five Towns, moving in a year and a half ago from Marine Park in Brooklyn. His government experience includes advocacy for private school children on behalf of Sephardic Community Federation and Teach NYS. He also served as chief of staff for City Councilman James Gennaro, who represents a large Jewish constituency in central Queens. “I went to a couple of board meetings and they were empty. Nobody attended.”

Almost nobody. Alongside Leb, another local activist, Sarah Yastrab, 40, a physical therapist from Woodmere, is also running, challenging incumbent Patricia Pope, 63 of Inwood. “The library is very antiquated and needs to reach out more,” Yastrab said.

Although Yastrab did not elaborate on the details of the budget, she said that by looking at the usage figures, the hours could be adjusted to the busier times in the day. Echoing Leb’s concerns on the budget, Yastrab hopes to work with the village government to secure a new site.

Mayor Martin Oliner said that while he shares their goal of a new building, land in Lawrence is limited and cannot be given away. “It’s like someone asking to buy my house, but my house is not for sale. The Temple Israel site is a great idea, but it is extremely complicated,” Oliner said.

With land at a premium, Oliner offered a compromise that would keep the library at its present site. “They could focus on adding a couple of stories where they are. Variances are needed and we can recommend them.”