One of the most contentious public votes in recent years took place last Wednesday, March 24, when voters in the Roslyn School District defeated a $15 million bond referendum, one designed to make significant renovations to the Bryant Library.

According to library officials, the final vote tally was 1,403 against the bond and 652 in favor. Voting took place at the library and lasted from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the evening of March 24.

"The Bryant Library Board of Trustees would like to thank all the community members who came out to vote on March 24," said BOT President Gladys Lasoff in a written statement.

"We recognize that the community is not prepared to accept the project at this time," the statement continued. "The needs for improvement do not go away with the loss of a vote. We will continue to work toward a viable solution with input from the community."

The Roslyn School District encompasses residents in the Villages of Roslyn, East Hills, Roslyn Estates, and Roslyn Harbor, plus parts of Roslyn Heights, and even smaller portions of Greenvale, Glen Head, and Port Washington.

Library officials cannot determine where the bulk of the opposition came from. However, a Feb. 24 meeting of the Roslyn Heights Civic Association revealed strong opposition to the bond from its members. Also, at a Feb. 4 meeting to discuss the bond, many of those who spoke out against the referendum were residents of Roslyn Heights. At the same time, the Roslyn Landmark Society weighed in with their official opposition to the bond. In all, public meetings on the referendum were well attended and generated much spirited debate and discussion. For instance, on the eve of the vote, both sides took out advertisements on the pages of The Roslyn News.

For library officials, the defeat represents a disappointing ending to a process that has been in motion for almost a year and a half. Library officials created a committee, one made up entirely of local residents, and one designed to find alternatives and solutions to the current problem of "inadequate space" to deal with increased visits and circulation at the library.

The bond, if passed, would have cost the average Roslyn School District homeowner $175 per year. Library officials were quick to point out that the renovation project could not legally exceed the $15 million bond.

More specifically, library officials have claimed that the building has experienced a 5.5 percent increase in circulation over the past two years. In addition, there were 167,000 more visits to the library last year, while public access computer use jumped from 8,393 to 17,830 over the past four years.

To counter that, the library committee proposed a renovation plan that would add 23,000 sq. ft. to the current building. That would have translated into more shelving space, increased collections, a separate area for teens, and an enlarged Children's Room.

The plan would have also involved moving the Valentine House -- which currently sits directly across from the library's front entrance --- near its "original location" on the northwest side of the main library building.

The latter idea proved to be a lightening rod for some controversy. When making its opposition formal in a letter to The Roslyn News, Landmark Society President Harrison Hunt said that moving the house "will unnecessarily damage the building and affect the views along Main Street and East Broadway at great expense and no real benefit." The letter also described the projected use of the Valentine House's first floor as home for a children's crafts and story room as "inappropriate," while claming there were no proposed uses for the upper floors.

Opposition also came from residents who worried about the costs and those who, citing their own independent studies of library usage claimed that renovation wasn't necessary.