Finally, thanks to the Renton Way – talking things through openly and honestly and compromising when necessary – the city has a plan for a beautiful new library over the Cedar River.

Let’s not forget that that equation included the dogged persistence of residents who fought for the best possible design for the Cedar library. And they wanted the right size. The King County Library System redesigned an original concept for 15,400 square feet over the Cedar River. But at an open house in March, residents made it clear that was too small.

KCLS then went back to the drawing board, coming up with a 19,500-square-foot library the Renton City Council approved Monday night.

That compromise comes with a cost.

The city will have to find an additional $1.5 million to pay for a library that size. But that’s OK. It’s what citizens want and there’s only one chance to get this right.

The library over the Cedar will continue to serve Renton families for decades to come, with the space to take advantage of tomorrow’s library, which undoubtedly will have new ways to preserve and share information.

It seems to make sense to extend the life of the bonds to get that additional money, rather than adversely affect other city budgets. Again, this is an investment in the future.

KCLS has shown patience as the city and its residents worked through the democratic process of settling on the broad-brush design of a new library. KCLS designed a library to fit the budget given to it by the city; increase that budget and you get something bigger.

There’s still some disappointment that the entrance to the library has moved. But KCLS worked within budget to offer an appealing alternative entryway that accommodates the structural needs of the new building. That’s a logical compromise, too.

Monitoring construction costs with an independent auditor was a wise council decision and a recommendation of the city administration.

Now KCLS can move forward. And there are still questions to ask. What happens to library services while the Cedar library is rebuilt? There’s potentially a cost associated with that.

Should there be political fallout from this lengthy debate, especially as council elections approach? We don’t think so. The city had agreed to build two new libraries.   Council members wanted to honor the city’s obligations.

But the city and KCLS compromised and, again, KCLS showed patience.

And what’s most important, Renton is getting what it deserves and always deserved – a library over the Cedar River.