Library Trustees Postpone Vote on MHC Letter
Library · Meeting of July 29, 2026
Great Barrington library trustees delay vote on historic commission letter, greenlight Select Board pitch. Meeting at Ramsdell Library, Co-Chairs Laura Mars and Lauren Clark presided as the board welcomed new trustee Russell Samora and debated a cover letter responding to Historical Commission Chair Malcolm Frick's objections to demolishing the library's 1930 addition. Trustee Donna Jacobs argued the letter "could be stronger," while G.
Patrick Hollenbeck pushed to cite Ramsdell's National Register of Historic Places status, saying it "trumps the state authorities." Rather than vote on unfinished language, trustees scheduled a special Zoom meeting for August 5 to approve the final letter. The board also voted unanimously to empower the co-chairs to prepare an August 10 Select Board presentation, and heard that a project cost estimate, somewhere between what one trustee framed as "a $6 million library or a $10 million library," is still four to six weeks away.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,299 words
Source: the Library meeting of July 29, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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