Feasibility Study & Needs Assessment

Background

Komatsu Architecture presented the results of their Feasibility Study and Needs Assessment to the City Council on October 16th, 2017. View an excerpt of the Feasibility Study and Needs Assessment (PDF). Their research (supplemented by survey data, community engagement, and conversations with library staff - outlines the future needs of Sanger Public Library and the rapidly growing population of Sanger:

• Sanger is a growing community whose current population is approximately 8,100 and is expected to expand to 15,000 by 2030. In planning for the Library, care has been taken to anticipate future needs and current trends seen in new library facilities and to meet the needs of the growing Sanger community. The existing library facility, which is only about 5,000 square feet, is not expected to be able to accommodate the growing community population or the modern user.
• The Texas State Library (TLA) created a Space Needs Worksheet with methods recognized by the State of Texas to calculate how much space a library needs based on the local population. Komatsu Architecture notes that the TLA worksheet confirms a future Sanger Public Library needs a minimum of 15,000 square [feet]... to provide a full service for the Sanger anticipated population.

A future library building, as conceptualized in the Feasibility Study, would be a 20,000-square-foot facility with the ability to expand up to 25,000 square feet in the future. Komatsu does note that "the land parcel size would need to be approximately 3 acres" regardless of whether a new library facility is a new construction or an expansion/renovation of the existing building.

Features

A new facility would provide benefits found in many newer libraries and desired by current library users, such as:

• More room for the library's book, audio, and movie collections
• Study rooms for quiet and collaborative use
• Comfortable reading areas
• Larger, more flexible Children's areas
• Definitive and innovative Teen/Young Adult areas
• Space to accommodate multiple programs and hands-on learning for all library patrons
• Emphasis on flexible, functional, and technology-friendly spaces
• Abundant electrical outlets
• Use of natural light and sustainable practices
• Incorporation of art and creative elements
• Open plan with good acoustics and lower shelf heights
• Well-designed exterior and interior spaces that support a sense of community
• Self-checkout and the possibility of drive-through pick-up for holds

About Komatsu Architecture

Komatsu Architecture was founded in Fort Worth, Texas in 1959 by Albert S Komatsu; they are a second-generation family-owned design organization. Komatsu Architecture has designed, built, and renovated numerous libraries in Texas, including many in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Metroplex cities that have Komatsu Architecture-designed libraries include Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Flower Mound, and Highland Park.

Learn more on Komatsu Architecture's website.