Molly MacAuslan, chairwoman of Cape Elizabeth’s Library Planning Committee, had just three things she wanted to know during a joint session Monday afternoon between her group and the Downtown Center Planning Committee.

Did the latter group, created to map out plans to overhaul the center of town into a more traditional New England Village, want to move Thomas Memorial Library off its current property, keep parts of the existing building in any renovation, or make it accessible anywhere on Route 77?

The downtown planning group punted on a preferred look for the library, saying that was really a matter for MacAuslan’s group, a five-member committee created in February following defeat at the polls in November of a $6 million bond to rebuild the library, parts of which date to 1849.

The Library Planning Committee is due to submit a recommendation to the Cape Elizabeth Town Council by October on how best to facilitate library services for the next quarter century. To aid that work, the committee will conduct a public roundtable discussion on Thursday, Aug. 29, to solicit feedback on the library’s future. The meeting kicks off at 6:30 p.m. in the high school cafeteria.

“We’ll give a very brief overview of work to date, but our focus that night will be on the residents of Cape Elizabeth,” wrote MacAuslan in a release announcing the event. “We need to hear ideas about library services and facilities what you want to see more of, and what you envision a library doing and being in the future.”

Whatever the public decides at that meeting, the two planning groups reached a consensus Monday that the library should remain on its current lot.

“It’s important to be in the town center near the schools, near where people are walking. It’s near existing business in town, and that may support additional business,” said Town Councilor David Sherman, who also sits on the town center group.

“Our committee also feels that it’s important to get some physical access to Route 77, although it appears that it could only be pedestrian access,” said Sherman.

“Obviously, that’s physically possible,” said Town Planner Maureen O’Meara, “but the town would need to obtain public access space. You’d have to purchase something. Plus, that area of Route 77 is not far from the intersection [with Scott Dyer Road and Shore Road]. Sight distance would be an issue. It would be a very, very difficult spot for vehicular access.”

“It’s always good from the town’s viewpoint to not put all your eggs in one basket, to create several options. It helps with negotiations,” said Town Manager Michael McGovern, in attendance, he said, due to the presence of five town councilors at the meeting.

Although it declined to offer advice on the look of a new library, the town center committee did say that one item “definitely on the list of potential priorities” is the creation of a village green, most likely on the library’s property.

“There’s a huge amount of space that could be made very attractive with the right designer,” said Councilor Jamie Wagner, adding that the lawn in front of the library, on Scott Dyer Road, where the statute of Joan Benoit-Samuelson sits, “is space we own. It’s green, but it’s not utilized.”

“If the town center takes off as we envision, it’s going to be its own little area with a lot of activity,” agreed Wagner’s fellow committee-member, Skip Murray. “It’s not that we need more green space in town, but, for example, if you bought a sandwich at the I.G.A., where would you eat it? In your car, or take it home.”

However, much of the green area Wagner pointed to on an aerial map of the library property is used as overflow parking.

“The parking we have for the library now is insufficient,” said Councilor Katharine Ray. “Sometimes, what looks good isn’t functional if there isn’t parking.”

In the end, the two committees agreed to take a laissez-faire approach to each other’s work, both declaring themselves “not far enough along” on their respective charges from the full Town Council.

The town center committee also has a public visioning session on its agenda, scheduled for Oct. 17. It was due to make a report to the Town Council by the end of the year, but will likely ask for an extension, said O’Meara, given that it did not hold its first meeting until May.

With Town Councilor Frank Governali looking on, Cape Elizabeth Town Planner Maureen O’Meara, left, reviews an aerial map of the Thomas Memorial Library property on Monday, during a joint meeting of the library and downtown center planning committees.