Jonathan Trumbull Library Renovation and Expansion Groundbreaking

On Thursday, July 8, we will officially break ground on the renovation and expansion of the Jonathan Trumbull Library. All are welcome to attend. The ceremony, at 1:30 PM, will also be livestreamed on the Lebanon CT Town Hall Facebook page for those who wish to watch remotely.

The expansion of the library has been a long-delayed project which is finally underway thanks to the dedicated work of many. You may remember that way back in 2015, Lebanon voters approved a major expansion of the library at referendum. That project was delayed when the Town was unable to produce a deed to the land where the library sits due to being part of the historic Lebanon Green. Town Meeting eventually authorized the Board of Selectmen to take legal action to resolve the issue of ownership of the Green in order to move the project forward. In 2019, a Connecticut judge issued two rulings recognizing the Town’s ownership over the majority of the Lebanon Green, with conservation easements held by the Lebanon Historical Society.

When I came into office in November 2019, the Board of Selectmen was working to address the impact of that easement on the project and dealing with an ongoing dispute over what is referred to as the “church parcel.” Ongoing litigation over the church parcel complicated the Town’s ability to get a septic permit and to develop a parking plan that had the support of the State Historic Preservation Office and satisfied the requirements of the easement. Between late April and early May of this year, we reached an agreement with SHPO on a parking plan. The State Historic Preservation Office found that the parking plan will have “no adverse effects” on historic resources. Shortly after, we received approval from the Uncas Health District for the septic plan as well. This cleared the way for the Town to finally sign a contract for construction of the library.

However, one more obstacle remained. When voters approved the library at referendum in 2015, the project was scheduled to receive a $1 million grant from the Connecticut State Library. Due to the extensive delays since then, the Town’s grant expired in early 2021 before we were able to reach a resolution with SHPO and Uncas. This spring, I approached State Senator Cathy Osten and asked her to assist us with the matter. Thanks to Sen. Osten’s efforts, the Town of Lebanon will receive a new $1 million grant for construction of the library through the Department of Economic and Community Development as part of the new state budget.

With the grant funding in place and the construction contract signed, we are finally ready to begin work on this important project. This month, you may have noticed that fencing went up around the planned construction site on the south end of the Green and the Jonathan Trumbull Library moved into its temporary home at the Community Center across the street.

The walking path on the Green remains open for use. However, walkers may need to cut across the mowed portion of the Green at the flagpole to complete the full loop while the parking lot is partially closed.

Parking can also be found at Town Hall. Please use caution at the crosswalk if crossing Route 207.

Thank you and congratulations to everyone who made this possible through years of hard work and persistence.

Kevin T. Cwikla
First Selectman