Tweaking And Testing Causes ``Bit'' Of Delay To Library Project - Management team insists library will finish on time

Kate Bouey 12/14/2010 105.7 SUNFM

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You can't judge a book by its cover but how about a new library?  City councillor Shawn Lee says the Okanagan Regional Library board asked the architect to tweak plans for the outside of the new Vernon library after members viewed drawings showing an arena-type roof. They wanted something more attractive.  ``They didn't like the roof line so much, the roof line was changed, it was flattened a little and just a single contour along the western facade was broken up,'' Lee says. He adds the board wanted something more ``interesting'' on the western side which faces the train tracks because those buildings will, eventually, be gone. ``You have to have something nice, to have appeal,'' says Lee.  Lee says that change, plus testing for a possible, environmentally-friendly, geo-thermal heating and cooling system may mean ``a bit'' of delay to the start of building work although he can't say how long. A handful of workers moved onto the site Tuesday morning to begin drilling. A spokesperson for CEI Architecture says the plan is still to begin excavation work before the end of the year. Tenders closed last week and a contract is expected to be issued shortly. A spokesperson for the management team, TASK, says the project's completion date remains on target for the spring of 2012.  City council approved the development permit on Monday.