Commissioners also hear sanitation quotes
Robbinsville – Efforts to save a local landmark has received a huge amount of traction in recent weeks.
Supporters working to preserve “The Hut” – a log cabin that sits on the same property as Robbinsville First Baptist Church – spoke at the Feb. 20 Graham County Board of Commissioners meeting, providing updates about the largest amount of progress that has been made since the church first announced plans to sell the structure last summer.
Scott Hatch has not given up his quest to make sure the cabin is saved. After months of advocacy, the fruits of his labor may have finally paid off. Hatch joined REVVED UP (Robbinsville Economic Vital Vibrant Economic Development & Urban Prosperity) Board Chair John Colwell in updating the commissioners on the progress made.
Most notably, “The Hut” may have a new location: on a former railroad grade between United Community Bank on Rodney Orr Bypass and Godfrey Street. Advocates at the meeting discovered that the land has been transferred to Graham County Travel & Tourism, which joined the commissioners in unanimous support of the preservation.
Colwell added that the process to have “The Hut” added to the National Register of Historic Places is being examined.
Widely accepted as the last building erected by the Works Progress Administration, the log cabin was constructed in 1938. It has served as a host for numerous civic clubs over the year – including the Graham County Women’s Club and the local Lions’ Club – and was at one time the Graham County Community Building. The exterior facade has also prompted the cabin to become a popular destination for photography sessions.
Time has not been kind to the foundation of the building, however, and the church announced that it was accepting bids for purchasing and removing the cabin from the premises July 19. No bids were submitted during the open period, but the decision to have “The Hut” removed sparked some controversy.
Robbinsville First Baptist Church pastor Rance Shuler told the The Graham Star shortly after last year’s announcement that the decision to remove the cabin was simply for safety concerns.
“Is the hut a liability or an asset to what God has called us to do? The answer was clear,” reads a portion of the letter submitted to the Star, which appeared in the Aug. 17, 2023, edition. “The time, efforts and finances that would be required to make ‘The Hut’ safe and comfortably usable are substantial, and would in no way be considered as wise stewardship God’s resources.
“Furthermore, the chimneys are pulling away from the structure due to failures in the foundation. This also poses a safety threat to folks in the community who might visit the hut and is therefore a liability to the church in that regard. Committing to the restoration of such a project does not fit in with the vision of His church.”
Volunteers are planning to document elements of the cabin’s structure, to ensure the components are safely removed and reassembled at the new location.
Sanitation updates
Figures were also presented to the board by Graham County Sanitation Director Gavin Colvard regarding new fencing being constructed at both the Bear Creek and Gladdens Creek sanitation centers.
The perimeter at Bear Creek has been disrepair for years, thanks to a combination of vandalism and a tree that fell onto the fence. Colvard quoted a cost of $7,397.45 to fix the fence itself; $11,549.43 would be the price to add a gate and have a worker on-site.
At Gladdens Creek, fence installation was priced at $6,335.28. Work at both sites would be completed by Asheville Fence Co.
Colvard said manning the Johnson Gap/Stecoah site off N.C. 28 has already decreased the daily amount of illegal dumping by 4 ½ tons, or $360 per day ($120,960 annually) that could be hauled off legally to the main sanitation center at 400 Snowbird Road and paid for by scale weight.
“You go to Bear Creek every morning and there’s nine dumpsters overflowing from illegal dumping,” Colvard said. “I feel like Bear Creek would pay for itself.”
“Everybody has adjusted to the time (at the N.C. 28 site),” Commissioner Lynn Cody added.
“The workers over there are being very helpful and it is unreal how clean it is; it looks so much better than what it did.”
No decision was made by the commissioners on the fencing quotes.
Finances
The board also approved purchases, releases and discoveries at the meeting. Notable approvals included a refurbished ambulance, at a cost of $250,758.21, with a deposit of $78,500; and batting cages, in the amount of $5,405.08.
Additionally, finance officer Stacy Carpenter’s report included a $586,530.34 surplus in the 2023-24 fiscal year. This gets the county out of the red, as the January report listed a deficit of $276,112.05.