Selectman Bill Johnson raised questions about the future of the old library at the Planning Board's Dec. 19 meeting. He said that the location is currently zoned for agricultural-residential use, but he proposed extending the business district "to just that lot."

Planning Board member Michelle Catalina explained that rezoning a single building—called "spot zoning"—is not legal. Changing the zoning for the old library would require the creation of an overlay district, she said; any uses allowed for the old library would also be permitted for every other building within such a district.

Johnson said that rezoning would help to resolve uncertainties in the old library's future, including what to do if the Pilot Project does not succeed, whether the building might be needed for town offices while Town Hall is renovated, and what use the building might serve in later years. Redistricting, Johnson said, would mean that the old library could be used for offices or condominiums or a range of other purposes.

"This would be a permanent redistricting, or as permanent as these things are," Johnson told the board.

Selectwoman Marie Sobalvarro, who also attended the Planning Board meeting, said that any zoning changes would take place "in the constellation of a lot of planning," and that the first goal was to plan for the success of the Pilot Project, a community arts and education effort based at the old library.

Harvard town counsel Mark Lanza said that the old library's current use for the Pilot Project is covered under institutional use, which is allowable in an agricultural-residential area and does not require any change in zoning.