An LED bench being supplied by the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB) will be installed at Abbotsford Community Library.
City council approved the location at its executive meeting on Monday (March 7).
The matter first came before council at the end of January in a presentation from Michelle Sparrow with the FVREB, who said the project was in recognition of the agency celebrating its 100th anniversary last October.
Council was told that FVREB would cover the cost and installation of one light-up bench in seven of its member communities, but the city would be responsible for any maintenance.
The matter was then referred back to staff for recommendations, including a location for the bench.
RELATED: Fraser Valley Real Estate Board wants to place light-up bench in Abbotsford
Mary Morrison-Clark – the city’s general manager of parks, recreation and culture – told council on Monday that an inside, rather than an outdoor, spot was preferred for the bench.
“We have to look at it in an Abbotsford context, and we do know the amount of vandalism that our current benches do take,” she said.
“This one does require an installation that does require an electrical feed, and the materials, we found, were not up to the standard that we would put on an outdoor bench. They’re very easily marked up, they can easily be cracked by a pen – all sorts of other issues.”
The bench has a two-year manufacturer’s warranty, and maintenance costs after that are expected to be “inconsequential,” a staff report states.
The bench will be situated in the section of the library for young adult and teen books. It will include a plaque mentioning the FVREB and its centennial.
Installation is expected to take place sometime this spring.
vhopes@abbynews.com
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