There are many green things about Mamaroneck—its long list of parks, its proximity to the Long Island sound, and its recycling regulations, to name a few. And in about a year, the Village of Mamaroneck will have one more green thing to be proud of: Its library.

The Mamaroneck Public Library's renovation project is old news to most residents, but the lengths it will go to befriend the environment is a different story. The renovation, which began in October 2008, is sticking to numerous standards for environmentally sustainable construction and aiming to receive a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating (a silver one) at the end of the project.

LEED, a green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, has supervised 14,000 projects in 31 countries. In the case of the library, they have assigned project manager Michael Bonasia to the site to ensure that LEED protocols are followed.

"The concept of green building design has gone, in the last 10 years, from being considered a fairly radical and experimental concept to being, most of the time, just the common sense way to build," said Helen Rafferty, chair of the library's building committee.

The firm in charge of the design is Manhattan-based BKSK, and the architect-in-chief is Mamaroneck resident George Schieferdecker. In 2000, Schieferdecker approached the library board with a green renovation idea and educated the members about the existence of LEED, and so it all began.

"We were aware that we had to keep costs down as much as possible," said Rafferty. "So our commitment to green was fully made when we worked with an environment consultant and our architect, and came up with green design aspects that were economically feasible and didn't cost much more than its conventional counterparts."

The total cost of the renovation, including the acquisition of land next to the old library, is estimated at $19.5 million. The Village of Mamaroneck issued a bond for $13 million in December 2008 and the library has so far raised close to $6 million.

"The goal is to raise any remaining needed funds privately to minimize the tax burden on the community, so we have about another $700,000 to go," said Rafferty.

The 1927 building that has housed the library all these years is a historical gem, but one that was no longer safe nor efficient, let alone green, and risked losing insurance coverage. The growing collection was running out of space; the building's electrical, mechanical and structural systems were up for replacement; and the building no longer met handicapped accessibility, fire safety and building security codes.

The major overhaul will feature a green roof, which basically means placing trays of grass on the roof to provide for a natural rainwater filter; smart lights that sense a person's movement and will only go on or off when needed; non-toxic surfaces throughout the building; low-flow plumbing; a Building Management System (BMS) that senses when opening or closing a window is as good of a solution as turning on the AC or the heat; planting trees and plants that don't require as much water to survive; low-energy insulated glass windows; and an improved recycling system.

The green project is scheduled for completion at the end of 2010, which gives the library board some time to raise the remaining funds. If it all goes as planned, the renovated library will have a new children's wing; a teen-only space; more room for books, gatherings, computers; improved handicapped accessibility; and it will be safer and cheaper to maintain.

"As long as we keep following our plan and everything works out, we will be one of the few silver LEED rated buildings in Westchester," said Rafferty.

The Mamaroneck Public Library is temporarily located at 103 Mamaroneck Ave. The building under renovation is at 136 Prospect Ave. Library hours are: Mon - Wed, 10am - 8pm; Thurs, 10am - 6pm; Fri & Sat, 10am - 5pm; Sun, 1pm - 4:30pm.