A free neighborhood library that popped up on a Point Pleasant Boro street will have to be moved, thanks to complaints from a neighbor who took issue with the structure.
A free neighborhood library that popped up on a Point Pleasant Boro street will have to be moved, thanks to complaints from a neighbor who took issue with the structure.
Grace and Peter Hagemeyer opened the library July 29 on Hardenburg Avenue, inviting neighborhood kids for a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the occasion. They stocked it with books, hoping people passing by would grab a good summer read.
"We thought it was a really fantastic idea," Grace Hagemeyer said in a phone call with NJ Advance Media Tuesday morning, explaining that she had seen other little libraries in Point Pleasant and surrounding shore towns. "We have three children who love to read. It's so cool to think that kids would be running back and forth with books, trading with each other."
But one neighbor saw an eyesore instead of the quaint bookcase, and went so far as to call the police to report it.
"I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this is such a problem," she said. "It's a waste of time, it's a waste of resources. Police should not be knocking on people's door because they want to give away books," when they have more important jobs to do protecting the public, she added.
The issue, Hagemeyer said, was that the mailbox stood more than 2 and a half feet tall, meaning it would have to be placed 10 feet from the property line. Another issue, she was initially told, was that such libraries are not allowed because they're not mentioned in the land-use ordinance.
Free little libraries have popped up all over the country, in both urban and suburban areas where foot traffic draws eager readers to browse the collections of about a dozen books. A national nonprofit, Little Free Library, has partnered with some 70,000 small book nooks in 85 different countries.
"This whole thing got blown out of proportion because a neighbor for whatever reason, called the police department," Frank Pannucci, the borough administrator, said Tuesday morning. "There's nothing wrong with [the library] itself."
Pannucci informed the Hagemeyers Tuesday morning that they can keep the little library if they move it back the 10 feet, and confirmed to NJ Advance Media that the second violation regarding land use restrictions wouldn't apply.
"The real issue is that it's got to be 10 feet out of the way," he added. "You can't have the little free library there, because you're going to have kids walking down the street. It's causing a hazard."
Pannucci said he doesn't know anything about the other little libraries in town, and for now, they're likely safe.
"Unless somebody makes a complaint about it, we're not going out hunting for them," he said.
As she got the news that the library could stay, albeit behind her fence, Hagemeyer was happy, although she would've preferred to keep it in sight of those strolling by. She hopes those looking for a good read will still come past the fence to borrow books.
"I'm so excited right now," she said. "We're okay with moving it. We're kind of welcoming."
Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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Kenneth Lyons (police photo)
