Library at Otay Ranch Town Center is One Step Closer

The council will be considering approving a lease with the mall for a temporary library on the east side of the city.  If approved, the new mall library would open to the public late 2011.

At a lease of $1/year, it’s a great deal for the city.  The space will be the three empty spaces on the west side of the food court.  Wi-fi will be available and extended out to the food court.  Library hours will increase to 35 hours/week, from the six that were offered at the Eastlake HS shared library.

The lease would be temporary for five years, with an option to cancel after three.  So if the economy improves - the mall could want their food court back.  

The city does have a  controversial plan for a larger, permanent library - but this comes at the expense of a smaller one promised to residents of Rancho del Rey.

On the whole, I think most residents will be excited about the temporary library, the mall location, expanded hours and wi-fi.  The long-term plan will need to be worked out between the city and its residents. 

For other policy/civic geeks like me ... the question of what constitutes “real” public space is now open for debate.  Public space on private property .... will/should types of public use be restricted?

Take for instance the upcoming elections. Libraries have hosted candidate forums in the past. With that comes the good and bad of politics, but all are protected under free speech and contributes to real and much-needed civic dialogue and participation. 

What happens if demonstrators/campaign staff make shoppers feel uncomfortable? 

Seriously, I don’t want someone bugging me with flyers/stickers/buttons while I’m enjoying a night out with the family ... but then again, what a great location to reach out to everyday citizens to see what they want, what they feel, and get them involved.

It will be interesting to see how the mall handles this very fine line ....

If the lease is approved and the project moves forward - that is ....