In a rare appearance before the Fayette County Commission, Tyrone Councilman Mike Smola asked the county's leaders to assist Tyrone's plans for building a new library.

The town recently learned it would receive a $1.2 million grant from the state to assist in construction of the new facility. The county's current library is housed in cramped quarters in the Tyrone Town Hall.

Smola said the town was looking at four sites. The first location is in the center of town and would cost Tyrone $300,000 for two acres.

Another site is located at the back of the Southhampton subdivision, just off Ga. Highway 74. Smola said John Wieland had donated two acres, but the site is "far off the beaten path."

A third possible location is Handley Park, but Smola said the piece of property available in the park is a "difficult piece of property."

The final choice would require assistance from the county. "We would like the county to ease their deed restrictions on Shamrock Park," Smola said.

If the county agreed, Smola said the town would move the existing tennis court and basketball court to the back of the park, and build the library on the front portion of the property.

"We believe the library could really energize this part of town," he said.

The County Commission appeared surprised by the request and asked Smola to submit the request in writing. "We'll do that at Thursday's meeting," he said.

According to Tyrone Town Manager Barry Amos, the town started offering recreation activities in 1972 at the park. But in 1982 when the town applied for a grant from the Department of Natural Resources, town officials learned they were "too small" to apply for the grant. The town leaders decided to transfer the park to Fayette County, so they could apply for the grant, he added.

In 1998, Amos said, Fayette County deeded the park