The fate of the Kent Memorial Library is now in the hands of all of us. A vote in favor of this proposal would result in the demolition of the present library. What a terrible loss of a modern architectural gift to our town this would be. Why do we need to tear down this structure?

We can have a better, bigger library, but we don't have to demolish this part of our heritage to accomplish that goal. The present Kent Memorial Library was a gift to the town in 1972. That's right, it was a generous donation by a wonderful group of citizens who commissioned Warren Platner to design and build a library that reflected a statement about their generation. A modern treasure, to be located on a main street filled with homes and buildings from many architectural periods. This group wanted to make an everlasting statement: "A Modern on a traditional New England Main Street." No town tax money was used.

Who are we to say that this building should be torn down? Let's not be a throw-away society. We once had a "Little Northampton" at the intersection of Bridge Street, Main Street and Mountain Road, but we demolished all those buildings; let's not make the same mistake again.

Vote no! Not no to a new library, but no to tearing down the old library!

Why you may consider voting no:

• The proposal demolishes the present Kent Memorial Library after only 36 years.

• Would we already have the "Little Northampton" we are now trying to recreate, if we had not demolished them in the 1970s?

• Is our neglect of a building justification for tearing it down?

• Why rebuild in the same place as 1972? Our town has changed since 1972. People in West Suffield share in the tax burden same as those on Main Street. We did not build the new high school on the east side of town; we built near the geographical center of town. The new library should be near the geographical center of our town.

• The historical district commission has not approved the project by granting a "certificate of appropriateness."

• The proposal shoehorns 30,000 square feet into the present site with only 52 parking spaces. Our commercial zoning would require a minimum of 150 spaces for 30,000 square feet.

Let's channel the momentum for this project into a long-range plan for our town. Let's purchase the land (165 acres) across from Spaulding School. Let's build all of our town buildings there. The high school can be connected by bike paths through Bruce Park. The police station is already there, the new senior center could be there. All new athletic fields can be built there. And yes, the new library would be there.

Go to www.savekent.com. Please view the photos and see what other citizens have to say about tearing down this building. The World Monument Foundation and the Knoll Co. have commissioned renowned photographer Andrew L. Moore to come up and photograph the building for their expose, "Moderns at Risk."

The outside world recognizes this building is a treasure; let us do the same.