Despite ongoing concerns about handicap accessibility, the village of Pinehurst will soon be putting its long-awaited new public library out for bid to construction contractors.

Over the past two months, the Village Council has been navigating how best to ensure that patrons of all mobility levels have equal access to the planned $6 million facility. Early drawings depicted a winding wheelchair ramp from the rear parking lot to the entryway. But as architects and engineers narrowed their plans, the council was advised there was insufficient space in the rear lot to include a ramp.

kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m"&?7@CEF?2E6=J[ E96 E@A@8C2A9J[ E96 =2?5D42A6 @7 E96 AC@A6CEJ >2<6D :E 5:77:4F=E E@ AFE 2 C2>A :?[" D2:5 ':==286 |2?286C s@F8 (:==2C5D@? 2E E96 4@F?4:='D >@DE C646?E H@C< D6DD:@?] "(96? x C624965 @FE E@ E96 2C49:E64ED E@52J x 2D<65[ '(@F=5 :E 36 A@DD:3=6 E@ >2J36 AFE 2 C2>A 7C@> E96 324< @7 E96 A2C<:?8 =@E E@ E96 7C@?E 5@@Cn' (6 H@F=5 92G6 >@C6 DA246 E@ H@C< H:E9j >2J36 E92E'D 2 A@DD:3:=:EJ]k^DA2?mk^Am kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m"x'G6 962C5 2 =@E @7 7665324< E92E E96J H@F=5 =:<6 2 C2>A E@ W96=AX 86E >@E96CD H:E9 DEC@==6CD D@>6 @E96C H2J E@ 86E :?E@ E96 3F:=5:?8]"k^DA2?mk^AmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m%96 p>6C:42?D H:E9 s:D23:=:E:6D p4E DE:AF=2E6D E92E H966=492:C C2>AD :? AF3=:4 724:=:E:6D >FDE 36 3F:=E 2E 2 'ai' C2E:@j 7@C 6G6CJ :?49 @7 C:D6[ E96C6 >FDE 2=D@ 36 'a :?496D @7 CF? @C 23@FE 7:G6 568C66D @7 :?4=:?6]k^DA2?mk^AmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mr@F?4:= >6>36C y24< u2CC6== A@:?E65 E@ E96 7C@?E @7 E96 =:3C2CJ 2?5 2 A=2??65 5C@A\@77 A@:?E 2D 2? 244@>>@52E:@? 7@C >@DE G:D:E@CD]k^DA2?mk^AmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m"p 5C@A\@77 =2?6 :? 7C@?E @7 E96 =:3C2CJ[ H9:49 x E9:?< :D A=2??65[ 2D x C642== -- H:E9@FE A2C<:?8 -- H@F=5 36 DF77:4:6?E 7@C 2 =2C86 A6C46?E286 @7 E96 A6@A=6 H9@ >:89E H2?E 6?ECJ] $@>6@?6 42? 5C@A E96> @77 6:E96C :? H966=492:CD @C :7 E96J ?665 H2=<6CD]"k^DA2?mk^AmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mu2CC6== 92D 6IAC6DD65 C6=F4E2?46 E@ :?4=F56 A2C<:?8 DA246D E92E 4@F=5 36 56D:8?2E65 2D 92?5:42A 2446DD:3=6 :? E96 7C@?E @7 E96 3F:=5:?8]k^DA2?mk^AmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m"x E9:?< :E'D 2 >:DE2<6 E@ 92G6 G69:4=6D A2C<:?8 :? 7C@?E @7 E96 3F:=5:?8[" 96 D2:5] "(6 DA6?E 2== E9:D E:>6 ECJ:?8 E@ >2<6 :E =@@< ?:46]"k^DA2?mk^AmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m|2J@C !2EC:4< !:KK6==2 D2:5 96 H2?ED E@ >2<6 2 EC:A E@ E96 =:3C2CJ 2D 62DJ 2D A@DD:3=6 7@C A2EC@?D] w:89=:89E:?8 E96 C2>AVD C6>@G2=[ 96 D2:5[ "x7 :E'D ?@E A@DD:3=6[ H92E 2C6 H6 =62G:?8 E96 5:D23=65 4@>>F?:EJ H:E9 96C6n %96J 4@F=5 6:E96C 6?E6C E9C@F89 E96 7C@?E 5@@C @C FD:?8 E96 =:7E :? E96 324<nk^DA2?mk^AmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m"%96 3F:=5:?8 =2J@FE x'> 7:?6 H:E9] x'> H@CC:65 23@FE E96 A6@A=6 H9@ 92G6 2 ?665 E@ 82:? 2446DD] x H2?E E@ >2<6 E96 492==6?86 2D =:EE=6 2D A@DD:3=6]"k^DA2?mk^Am kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m%96 4FCC6?E 4@?DECF4E:@? 5C2H:?8D :?4=F56 2 H966=492:C "=:7E" =@42E65 2E E96 C62C @7 E96 3F:=5:?8] x?5:G:5F2=D H:E9 >@3:=:EJ 4@?46C?D 42? A2C< :? E96 324< =@E 2?5 FD6 2 >6492?:42= A=2E7@C> E@ C6249 E96 D2>6 =6G6= 2D E96 C62C 6?EC2?46]k^DA2?mk^AmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m"w62C:?8 7C@> E96 2C49:E64ED -- E96 8C256 E92E H6 2C6 =@@<:?8 2E -- 282:?[ E96 5C@A E92E J@F 92G6 E@ @G6C4@>6 :D >F49 36EE6C D6CG65 67764E:G6=J E9C@F89 2? 6=6G2E@C[ H9:49 E96J 2C6 42==:?8 2 '=:7E['" D2:5 4@F?4:= >6>36C y677 |@C82?] "$@[ J@F AF== :?[ 2?5 J@F 6=6G2E6 FA E9C@F89 E96C6 >6492?:42==J[ 2?5 J@F 8@ 7C@> E96C6]"k^DA2?mk^AmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mpD 2? 255:E:@?2= @AE:@?[ (:==2C5D@? A@:?E65 E@ E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ @7 :?4=F5:?8 2 4:C4F:E@FD EC2:= =625:?8 7C@> E96 324< A2C<:?8 =@E[ 2=@?8 E96 D:56 @7 E96 3F:=5:?8[ E@ E96 7C@?E 5@@C]k^DA2?mk^AmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m"x7 H6 H2?E E@ 255C6DD 92?5:42AA65 2446DD E@ E96 3F:=5:?8 2D >F49 2D A@DD:3=6[ 6:E96C H6 5@ 2 A@E6?E:2= EC2:= @? E96 D:56 96C6 2?5 6?E6C FA 96C6 2E >2J36 E96 A@C49 @C E96 7C@?E 6?EC2?46[" 96 D2:5] "%92E H@F=5 36 E96 @?=J @E96C @AE:@? E@ >2<6 :E 62D:=J 2446DD:3=6]"k^DA2?mk^AmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m%96 4@F?4:= >6>36CD 6IAC6DD65 E96:C 56D:C6 E@ 5:D4FDD 2 EC2:= H:E9 E96 2C49:E64ED]k^DA2?mk^AmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m"x'> 7:?6 H:E9 E96 >62?56C:?8 EC2:=[" D2:5 !:KK6==2] "(6 2C6 H@C<:?8 @FC H2J E@ >2<:?8 :E >@C6 2446DD:3=6 -- 62D:6C 2446DD:3:=:EJ] %92E H@F=5 8:G6 E96> E96 @AE:@? E@ E2<6 E96 =:7E @C E@ 8@ E92E H2J :7 :E'D 2 DF??J 52J[ 2?5 E96J H@F=5 4@>6 FA H:E9 2 DEC@==6C @C H966=492:C 2?5 4@>6 :? E96 7C@?E 5@@C]" k^DA2?mk^AmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mr@F?4:= >6>36C q2C3 u:4<=:? 2D<65 :7 :E H@F=5 36 A@DD:3=6 E@ D9@CE6? E96 C@FE6 D@ E92E E96 EC2:= 6>AE:6D @77 @? E96 D:56 @7 E96 =:3C2CJ C2E96C E92? E96 7C@?E 6?EC2?46]k^DA2?mk^AmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m"x =:<6 E92Ej :E'D 2 D9@CE6C C@FE6[" !:KK6==2 C6A=:65]k^DA2?mk^AmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m"(6 H:== >@G6 7@CH2C5 H:E9 E96 A2E9[ 2?5 H6 H:== 92G6 2 3:5 A24<286 AC6A2C65 D9@CE=J[" D2:5 (:==2C5D@?] "x7 E96C6'D ?@ @E96C 7665324<[ H6 H:== >@G6 7@CH2C5 H:E9 E96 3F:=5:?8 2D :D]"k^DA2?mk^AmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m%96 ':==286 r@F?4:= 6IA64ED E@ DE2CE 2DD6DD:?8 4@?DECF4E:@? 3:5D 27E6C E96 ?6H J62C]k^DA2?mk^AmkAmkDA2?m k^DA2?mk^Am