In a 5-1 vote with one abstention, Kent County Levy Court decided to spend $1.4 million to move the county library to a 10,000-square-foot space in Longacre Village shopping center along Route 13, south of Camden.

The move changed courses for the county, which had decided to prepare a purchase offer for a 12,000-square-foot building near Brecknock Park on Oct. 13.

Commissioner George “Jody” Sweeney said the change would ensure the county remains within long-range plans to provide library services to Kent residents.

“This will be a better location and better fulfillment of the county’s mission to supply library services to residents,” said Commissioner Dick Ennis in voting for the proposal.

Commissioner Brad Eaby abstained from voting on the library location, and Commissioner Eric Buckson cast the only vote in opposition to the proposal, saying he would like to postpone the decision to allow more time to confer with officials from the state and municipalities on the best location for the county library.

City of Dover officials, state representatives and local library directors rallied against the Brecknock Park location through letters and public comments at county meetings. Their concerns focused on the close proximity of the building to the Dover city limits, which could have resulted in a duplication of library services for city residents and a potential loss of state funding for the Dover Public Library.

Prior to the Oct. 27 meeting, the town and city managers from Dover, Smyrna and Harrington sent a letter to the Levy Court that requested the county approve the Longacre Village location.

“…It will bring library services closer to the people of Kent County who are farthest from current library services, and it reduces the current overlap with the Dover Library’s service area,” the letter stated.

The new location will be ready for the county library by April 1, and Sweeney said he was disappointed by the “harsh words” directed toward commissioners for “trying to serve people to their expectations.”

Levy Court President P. Brooks Banta said some people seemed intent to “divide and conquer” the county on the library relocation, rather than trying to promote people working together to reach a solution.

“I am distressed that people that I’ve known my whole life would call me and make comments like they did,” Banta said.

Commissioner Allan Angel said it was not valuable to taxpayers for the county library to stay in its current location along the northbound lane of Route 13 near Dover.

He used a sports analogy to explain why the county had decided to move the library.

“When you’re a quarterback in the fourth quarter, and you have the choice of either a touchdown or a field goal, you want the touchdown,” Angel said.