In this episode of Everything Is Local, Shana, Mike and Matt break down the latest developments surrounding Beachwood’s proposed new library and the controversial Fairmount Temple property:

• The latest library plans, including the proposed auditorium, private study spaces, maker room and the impact the project could have on Beachwood’s remaining youth sports fields.

• Why the school district’s plan to move engineering classes into the current library raises major questions about transportation, classroom time, operating costs and whether the idea has actually been studied.

• The growing frustration over the library’s planning process, including the claim that more than $1 million was spent planning a library at the current site before it was determined the property was too small.

• The City Council meeting, public comments and the criticism surrounding how community members were given an opportunity to ask questions about the new library design.

• The proposed $30 million-scale library project and the debate over whether a large auditorium is actually necessary when other nearby facilities already offer large event spaces.

• The Fairmount Temple property, the city’s $8 million purchase and the revelation that developers may be willing to pay substantially less than what Beachwood paid for the land.

• What declaring the Fairmount Temple property “blighted” could mean, including the potential use of property-tax incentives and the impact that could have on county-funded health and human services, developmental disability programs and other safety-net services.

• Questions surrounding who is responsible for paying for the library-related infrastructure, parking and sports-field improvements, and why the city and school district appear to be giving different answers.

• Whether Beachwood City Council will ultimately approve the proposed “blighted” designation and how residents can make their opinions known before the next steps are taken.

• Plus, a few detours into Mike’s championship softball tournament, The Dukes of Hazzard and some classic TV nostalgia.

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