THOUSAND OAKS : Library’s Reopening Delayed Until April

The long-awaited reopening of the Thousand Oaks Library will be delayed until April because of unexpected difficulties in preparing the floor for visitors.

Even 2 1/2 months after the Northridge earthquake caused $2 million in damage to the library, it remains unsafe because of an uneven floor surface, City Manager Grant Brimhall said.

The bumpy remnants of mastic, a substance used to stick the carpet to the floor, must be completely removed before the public can walk in the library without fear of tripping, Brimhall said. Although contractors are working 14-hour days to clear away the mastic, total cleanup could take two weeks.

“Only three contractors in the state have the equipment to remove the mastic,” Brimhall said. “We could do it chemically, but then the building might explode.”

After the mastic is removed, other repairs will be tackled. The library should be open by early to mid-April, Brimhall said. He promised to let readers in “as soon as possible, when the public will not be at any peril.”

Moving ahead with other repairs while work on the mastic continues, the Thousand Oaks City Council on Tuesday unanimously selected the Westlake Village firm of Amador-Whittle Architects to draw up blueprints for a new ceiling. The old, metal ceiling crashed to the floor in hundreds of pieces in the Jan. 17 earthquake.

Amador-Whittle also will manage other aspects of the library’s rehabilitation, including checking to be sure the building complies with current codes and working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to secure federal funds.