(WHITE TOWNSHIP, NJ, December 14, 2011) – The headquarters of the Warren County Library system will move in about a year under a plan advanced by the Board of Chosen Freeholders with the purchase of a new location.

The freeholders voted unanimously on a $7.48 million acquisition of two existing buildings, located on 12 acres next to the County’s complex on Route 519 in White Township.

The purchase is “a very cost-effective way to resolve the library issues that we’ve had in the past,” Freeholder Director Everett A. Chamberlain said, adding that county residents will benefit from the move.

Property owner Branch Packaging Group will finish the interiors of the two buildings, which are 15,000 square feet each, and provide a “turn-key” project to the county.

One building will be home to the new library headquarters, replacing the current cramped space in the Courthouse Annex in Belvidere, while the other will house divisions of the county Department of Human Services, including the Division of Administration and the county Adjuster located in the Cummins Building in Belvidere, and the Division of Temporary Assistance and Social Services, which also is in the Courthouse Annex.

The facility is next to the county Road Department headquarters and near the Wayne Dumont, Jr. Administration Building and other County facilities.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Freeholder Richard D. Gardner, who explained, “The library has been ‘temporarily’ located in their space for approximately 38, going on 39 years. This is going to be a great improvement to the library system overall.”

Freeholder Jason J. Sarnoski said county citizens will be proud to know the freeholders undertook a detailed process to decide on the purchase, and considered many options.

“We had the discussions continuously until we felt comfortable and, going forward, were proceeding in the right way,” Sarnoski said. “That’s going to result in a better price for the people of Warren County, a better facility, and a better project overall. I’m looking forward to seeing the finished project.”
“I think our patrons are going to be as excited and delighted to use this facility as the patrons of the new Northeast Branch,” Gardner remarked, referring to the branch in Independence Township that relocated to a larger facility in May and has seen usage surge since then.

Freeholder Director Everett A. Chamberlain and Robert Van Volkenburgh, president of property owner Branch Packaging Group, shake hands on the deal for the County to acquire two buildings from Branch Packaging to use for the Warren County Library headquarters and Department of Human Services offices. With them are Freeholder Richard D. Gardner and Freeholder Jason J. Sarnoski.

Gardner noted that parking and ease of access at the new location are “just superior” to the current facility in Belvidere.

The freeholders first began considering the location two years ago, after plans for new construction to accommodate the library, Human Services and other county functions were put aside due to the high cost.

“It’s been a long process,” Chamberlain said, noting the freeholders also looked at other buildings around the county after realizing it was not financially feasible to build a new facility.

“One of the most important things is we’re not bonding, we’re not going into debt,” Chamberlain said, explaining the project will be paid for out of capital fund dollars that have been set aside over time. “I think the taxpayers of Warren County will be very appreciative of that. We’re being very good stewards of their taxpayer dollars,” he commented.

Robert Van Volkenburgh, president of Branch Packaging Group, said his company was in discussions over the course of two years before finalizing the deal to finish the buildings and sell them to the County in move-in condition.
“I’m happy that we were able to come up with a product that I believe the County will be very happy with,” he said.