The Nambucca Heads community clearly cares about its library, if Thursday's packed council chamber is any indication.
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There was standing room only as architect Aaron Peters, from Vokes and Peters (the company whose winning design helped land the $2 million grant for the renovation), told the community that by stitching the library and the community arts centre together, resources could be shared and money saved.
But the community is wary and the key message was "the current plan is only a concept and will definitely change".
Mr Peters said the meeting was the first time the architects had talked directly to the community, something that usually happened at the beginning of a brief.
"What we want to do is take your stories, turn them into opportunities and give you a building that works," Mr Peters said.
He said the design aimed to create a "suite of public living rooms, each used for different purposes, that are connected ... libraries of the future will be spaces where people want to hang out."
He said the Small Hall would still be accessible when the library was closed, and internally, the kitchen, toilets and storage areas would remain individually accessible.
"We are giving the space a facelift and as far as we can tell, all community groups should be served."
President of U3A Nambucca Valley Paul Coe asked how the community could consult with the architects directly.
"We believe there has been filtering of concerns raised and dealing with the Project Control Group will not cut the mustard," Mr Coe said.
The Mayor Rhonda Hoban said the existence of the PCG was a criteria of the grant and that communications would continue to be via the group or council directly.
This project has limited space, a limited budget and limited time frame - so what we end up with won't be prefect but it will be as good as possible.
- Mayor Rhonda Hoban
She reminded people the final plans, when completed, still had to go on public exhibition, offering another opportunity for further concerns to be raised.
Mr Peters took on board comments about the important access the courtyard provided to both the Large and Small Halls, as well as the issue of removing what are now 24 hour toilets.
"These are clearly two particular issues we need to tease out."
Marlene and Mike Griffin both highlighted the high use of the Small Hall, which they believed the design would curtail.
"Sharing all the facilities is a good idea but it would not work for us," Marlene, who is the president of the Nambucca Community Arts Centre, said.
"The vision offered for the Small Hall is impractical, particularly the loss of vehicular access if the courtyard is filled with gardens and colonnades."
The Orchid Society president, Grahame Beaton, outlined the needs of that group, including easy access and the need to store a lot of equipment between monthly gatherings.
After the meeting reactions were mixed.
Rhonda Davies said she thought the project was a bad business decision: "Why ruin a good hall because there is not enough money to do the job properly."
Related: What council decided about the Nambucca Library Extension