What a plot twist.

A new character has emerged in the suspenseful story of the Goleta Public Library, and it just might turn into the protagonist the community was hoping for.

Working with Hayes Commercial Group, the City of Goleta has identified a commercial office building at 6500 Hollister Ave. as a temporary site for the library.

The building, owned by an entity called 6500 LLC, is close to Goleta City Hall, is ADA-compliant and is on a major transportation corridor. It also has air conditioning and is essentially turnkey ready.

The 2,500-square-foot building would cost about $220,000 over the course of the two years that the library would need to be relocated, which, according to the City of Goleta, is lower than market value.

The current library is the city’s only warming and cooling center during extreme weather events, and the building at 6500 Hollister Ave. would be able to continue to provide that service.

The lease would include 10 dedicated parking spaces, but Goleta is considering subleasing additional unused spaces at the site, which includes companies such as Strategic Healthcare Programs, Vitamin Angels and Nexus Photonics.

Additional parking is available on-street, and library staff would park at
City Hall and walk across the lot to the site at 6500 Hollister Ave. to save parking
spaces for library patrons.

Goleta City Councilwoman Luz Reyes-Martin said she has heard from many constituents that their top priorities are access, continuation of community programming, and the needs of the library staff.

“I want to ensure that whatever location is chosen has good public access for residents in the library zone as well as access to collections via browsing and holds, that treasured community programming continues, and that library staff has the resources and workspaces they need to keep operations running smoothly,” Reyes-Martin said.

She said she is pleased that city staff has identified a viable commercial space.

“There is a lot to like about the 6500 Hollister site, and I look forward to hearing more from staff and the public about this option,” Reyes-Martin said. “I appreciate that the site has good public access, parking, and a nearby bus stop. I also think it is important that the site has adequate HVAC systems and ADA accessibility.”

She said she has confidence in the “creative and resourceful library staff” who will do all they can to ensure a temporary relocation is as smooth as possible.

The City of Goleta is set to discuss the matter at next Tuesday’s meeting.

Other options on the table include the Goleta Valley Community Center, but it does not have heating and air-conditioning and the library services would have to be scattered over multiple classrooms.

Another option would be for the city to purchase new, portable, modular classrooms at the Goleta Community Center parking lot. The cost of that would be at least $805,000. In addition, relocating to the Goleta Community Center would mean the city would have to delay a planned ADA project for at least two years.

City staff is recommending 6500 Hollister Ave. The other options involve acquiring permits, soliciting bids and awarding contracts to vendors.

“To complete the work and the cost associated with this is also unknown, but would
result in a gap in library services when the library is closed for construction,” the staff report states. “For this reason, 6500 Hollister Ave. is the only location that staff is recommending.”

The City of Goleta received a $4.2 million grant to renovate the library primarily to make it ADA-compliant. It must start the work in 2025 and complete it within two years or lose the grant money. The work may take less than two years.

It’s unclear how the story of the library will end, but it’s a page-turner, and 6500 Hollister Ave. just might bring a happy ending.

“No matter what option is chosen, I hope our Goleta Valley community will continue to support and patronize our Library,” Reyes-Martin said.

City Councilman James Kyriaco added: “The city is working hard to ensure our beloved Goleta Valley Library facility is made ready for its next 50 years of serving children, seniors and everyone in between. We are striving to temporarily relocate library services to a site where the high-quality programming our community is used to and expects can continue.”