Letter to the Editor: Library at MLK is a fatal flaw

A community's identity and brand are fragile. They must constantly be nurtured, or they go away. They lose their authenticity. They become bland.

As we discuss the pros and cons for the proposed Martin Luther King Jr. Park library site, what’s at stake here? Let’s review the checklist.

Context: Moving the library out of the downtown core is subtractive. It removes a keystone for multigenerational gatherings and focal points which build downtown synergy and, above all, identity. It's like Winter Park's smile just lost a big front tooth.

Context: 17-92/Mills is a commercial circus with new construction taking over the Unicorp/Best Western site, and increased traffic and conflicting aesthetics creeping up Morse Avenue. To most people, this sends a distinct message: RUN!

Context: To place a prized public asset in a burgeoning commercial district would go against the recommendation of any visioning process hitting on all cylinders. It's a mismatch. It is remote. What checklist did MLK merit for library-site selection from our citywide visioning team?

False lead: It is now clear. The civic center is the lead proposed asset for this site. A library is only secondary. Again, a mismatch. City Hall would be the better pairing.

Value: MLK is first and foremost a park. Let's enhance that unique usage. It already serves a higher purpose. Why diminish it?

Leverage: Key word to community success: partnership. How can the library partner with existing community organizations to take our venue to the next level of shared investment and enhanced community usage? Rollins?

Leadership: On whose watch will this take place? Will the Winter Park City Commission join the growing list of communities which trade valued public assets for the casino of short-term returns?

Honesty — there are other options. They might be worth taking an educated second look. Plan A? Plan B? It's not a black and white world. Sometimes Plan C is the best answer.

Charley Williams

Winter Park