Placer Supervisors approve property transfer for Applegate Library

The Placer County Board of Supervisors approved a property transfer agreement for the Applegate Library during its consent agenda Tuesday. The Applegate Library, located at 18018 Applegate Road, was added to Placer's library system after 0.4 acres of land with a modular building were granted in fee by a grant deed to the county by the Applegate Civic Center Club on Feb. 20, 1998, the staff report notes. "Should the County of Placer elect to permanently discontinue use of the Applegate Library as a Branch Library, title to the above described property shall, upon demand, revert to the Applegate Civic Center Club," the deed states. According to the staff report, the civic center club president sent an email request for the property to be returned per the deed terms to District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson on March 24. During the board's May 10, 2022, meeting, staff provided the supervisors with an overview of the current status of Placer's libraries, which noted the Applegate location has been closed, and the library study conducted in 2021, which included recommendations to optimize library services. During that meeting, Judy Cook, president of the Friends of the Applegate Library, noted the library had been closed for 2.5 years and requested a final closure. "I'm sad to say that after 35 years of existence, since 1987, that the Applegate Library has outlived its usefulness as a functioning branch library," Cook told the board in May. "It's hard. It's a sad thing to say, 'We want you to close our library,' but we do. The truth is that the residents of Applegate and its surrounding I-80 neighborhoods … will be better served with reliable, scheduled service from a library van or alternative delivery of library books." At the board's Sept. 13, 2022, meeting, Placer County Library Services Director Mary George confirmed library administration would work with Facility Services and the Friends of the Applegate Library regarding the ownership of the facility to "support efforts to successfully repurpose the library and strengthen the Applegate community." According to the staff report, Placer determined the property was no longer needed for the stated purpose and staff recommended the approval of the transfer. The staff report also notes the Applegate Haffey Tot Lot was located on the property and the playground equipment was removed at the request of the civic club. Additionally, the board's approval removed the tot lot from the county's list of public recreation areas.