ROCKPORT, Maine — The town’s library is expected to move into temporary new quarters after Thanksgiving.
The Select Board voted last week to give Town Manager Richard Bates authorization to sign the lease, which he has done, Bates said Tuesday.
The lease for the space on Route 1 at 485 Commercial St. is for two years with an option for additional years if the town needs more time.
The move is being made because of the poor condition and poor air quality of the current library located in Rockport Village.
The town will pay $2,900 per month for the lease. Increases in subsequent years will he tied to any increase in real estate taxes for the property. The property, which includes the 5,000-square-foot building, is owned by Blue-Aqua Corp. of Del Ray Beach, Florida.
The town takes possession of the space on Nov. 1, and the manager said the town will be making minor modifications during the month and will move in after Thanksgiving.
Bates said the length of time the library will be closed during the move has not been determined.
The town manager said the Select Board is scheduled to meet Nov. 5 to discuss what the next steps should be in regard to a long-term solution for the library. He said no decision has been made on tearing down the current building and constructing a new facility on the same site.
In November 2014, residents rejected a ballot question that called for a new library to be built at the former Rockport Elementary School property.
A group of citizens who opposed relocating the library to the former Rockport Elementary School property, owned by the town, submitted a petition earlier this year to the Select Board to place an article on the next town ballot to limit the location of any new library to the current site in the village.
That item is expected to go on the June ballot.