Washington’s City Council wants the public’s input on where to locate a proposed Charters of Freedom display in Washington.

The city will conduct a public meeting to gather that input, but the time, date and location of that meeting has yet to be announced.

Proposed locations include several along the waterfront — including two sites adjacent to the dockmaster’s station and one at Crab Park — and one along Market Street next to the Beaufort-Hyde-Martin Regional Library headquarters. The site next to the library is owned by Beaufort County.

The display would include replicas of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The display, according to Mayor Mac Hodges, requires a space at least 10 feet deep and 18 feet wide. Hodges met with Beaufort County Commissioner Gary Brinn, Ron Lewis and others interested in the project to discuss its details. Lewis, a retired Marine Corps 1^st lieutenant and member of Foundation Forward, a private nonprofit, proposed building the monument at a Beaufort County Board of Commissioners meeting earlier this year.

During the City Council’s meeting Monday, city officials discussed where to locate the display. There is some concern that waterfront sites might not work because footings required for the display’s foundation could run as seep as 3.5 feet. At that depth, there’s concern they might strike water, which is about 2.5 feet below the surface at some areas along the parkway.

Councilman Doug Mercer showed interest in locating the display on county property next to the library. He raised a concern about “the waterfront becoming cluttered.” He suggested letting the county erect the display next to the library.

Hodges said Lewis, who’s raised about $20,000 to build the display, prefers a site along the waterfront.

Hodges and Councilman Larry Beeman said they preferred the proposed site east of the dockmaster’s station.

At his meeting with the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners several months ago, Lewis said the purpose behind the monuments is educational: rather than school-aged children traveling to Washington, D.C., to see the documents, the 3,143 local governments across the U.S. should have access to them at home.