Lake View Terrace Library Hailed as ‘Eco-Friendly’ Model

Calling it a model of energy efficiency, Los Angeles officials will dedicate the new $5.5-million Lake View Terrace Branch Library today in the Hansen Dam Recreation Area.

The modern 10,700-square-foot facility at 12002 Osborne St. is being billed as the most ecologically friendly city building, with its energy-saving water and power operating systems and recycled building materials.

“This community has eagerly awaited the opening of the environmentally friendly Lake View Terrace Branch Library, which provides our community with a comprehensive collection ... and the latest in technological resources for adults and children,” said Los Angeles City Council President Alex Padilla, who represents the area.

After a 10 a.m. ceremony, library officials will welcome patrons inside for a look at its collection of 40,000 books, CDs, videotapes and other materials assembled in special areas designated for adults, teens and children.

The library, the first to be built in Lake View Terrace and the 67th branch in the city library system, also has a multipurpose meeting room and personal computers. But it is the library’s environmentally friendly features and operations systems that set it apart from other city facilities, officials said.

For example, the building’s exterior has airfoil sunshade awnings to prevent direct sunlight from entering the windows, a roof with reflective color coating to reduce heat, solar panels on the roof to generate electricity and a cooling tower that circulates air through cold water to cut back on air conditioning.

High ceilings draw hot air upward and away from patrons, low-flow automatic faucets and toilets reduce water usage and bamboo floors in the lobby and multipurpose room are more biodegradable and reusable than hardwood, officials said.

“The new Lake View Terrace Branch is an eco-friendly building that will serve as a model for other public libraries,” said Assistant City Librarian Fontayne Holmes.

The facility was financed with a $3.5-million federal Community Development Block Grant, a $1-million allocation from the Lopez Canyon Landfill amenities fund, $550,000 in grants from the California Integrated Waste Management Board and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, as well as funds from a $600,000 bond approved by voters in 1989. The Verizon telecommunications company donated $80,000 for the personal computers with Internet access.