News & Features
From the Idyllwild Town Crier weekly newspaper, 09.02.10 edition.

$1 million for Idyllwild library

By Marshall Smith, Staff Reporter

At its Tuesday, Aug. 31 meeting, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved an initial $1 million funding grant for the Idyllwild Library Project. Verne Lauritzen, Third District Supervisor Jeff Stone’s chief of staff, said that the county is examining a number of options for relocating the library. The grant will be used for the design and construction of a 3,000- to 4,000-square-foot library and community room to serve the Idyllwild and Pine Cove area. The new facility will replace the current library as part of a community revitalization campaign in the Idyllwild business core.

The resolution amended the county’s 2010-2011 One Year Action Plan, part of the 2009-2014 Five Year Consolidated Plan, to add the Idyllwild Library Project.

Regarding the grant, Lauritzen said, “This gets us started and gets us going toward our goal.” Stone had promised to announce his decision regarding location and plans for the project to the Friends of the Idyllwild Library (FOL) on or before Sept. 1.

When told of the grant, FOL member Adele Voell said, “It’s wonderful that this is moving forward. I’m very pleased with way things are going.”

Recently, the county provided transportation to 11 members of the FOL to the newly rehabilitated Sun City Library in Menifee, where they toured the “green” and high tech facility. Voell described the facility as roomy, light and very airy. “It’s a beautiful library,” she recounted. “They [the county] did a wonderful job.”

The new Menifee library had previously been a bank, which the county remodeled using the latest design techniques and technology, according to Lauritzen.

Lauritzen noted that there is the potential for the initial grant to be increased substantially. The authorizing resolution cites the source of the funds as Community Block Development Grants, designed to improve the Idyllwild business core.

Marshall Smith can be reached at marshall@towncrier.com

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