Robbinsville – Less than 24 hours after gauging public opinion, the Graham County Board of Commissioners rendered a vote that was almost eight years in the making.
Two letters from chief judges and a ¼-cent sales-tax referendum notwithstanding, the board finally selected a location for the much-discussed Graham County Justice Center: Knight Street, which is the newest of 12 sites considered by commissioners. Vice chair Natasha Williams made the motion, while Connie Orr seconded. The motion carried 4-1; departing commissioner Keith Eller voted against the spot.
Tucked between Modeal Walsh Memorial (Big Oaks) Stadium and the Graham County Community Building – literally a stone’s throw away from where many county offices and meetings are held – is a rarely-used baseball field. Once the home of varsity sports, the field is now used only in the event that facilities in the county are booked to the max and a team needs somewhere to practice. The property is owned by Graham County Schools.
In light of the school system’s recent award of $42 million to build a new elementary school at a different location, the county sees the potential for growth by placing the justice center near the edge of the city limits. Currently, Robbinsville Elementary School is directly above the planned site; adjacent to the location is the Graham County Public Library. Once the school is operational – which Williams said in a public hearing Monday should be well before the justice center is complete – the former school could also be used for county facilities as needed.
Those who attended Monday’s hearing were able to examine three locations that the county had picked as the preferred spots: Knight Street, a lot across from State Employees Credit Union on Tallulah Road; and a property on Old Tallulah Road.
In-between Monday’s hearing and Tuesday’s meeting, The Graham Star conducted a Facebook poll to gauge public opinion, with overhead drawings of each site accompanying each option. Knight Street ultimately received 160 votes; Tallulah Road had 107; and Old Tallulah finished with 22.
Most of the concern over the Knight Street location was further impeding traffic flow on the short, two-lane street that connects U.S. Highway 129 and Moose Branch Road; as well as the center’s proximity to areas that frequently have children present, including the stadium, Tri-County Early College and the county pool. The center has long been favored as the location of a new detention facility for Graham County, which caused much of the discussion among parents and adults on-hand at the hearing – in regards to keeping children safe from those in custody.
Commission chairman Jacob Nelms echoed the sentiments, but countered by noting that for years, numerous functions have taken place around the current courthouse and detention center in downtown Robbinsville without incident.
Commissioners began working feverishly to pick a site after District 43A Chief Superior Court Judge Tessa Sellers issued an Aug. 21 letter to the county, pointing out a plethora of concerns with the existing courthouse and giving the board 60 days to come up with an action plan.
Prior to Tuesday’s vote, Sellers appeared at the meeting and spoke to the commissioners. She was accompanied by the majority of the judges in District 43A, as well as District Attorney Ashley Welch.
“To use a mountain term, it’s time to ‘fish or cut bait,’” Sellers said. “I don’t want to be the 800-pound gorilla in the room and if we work together, I won’t have to be.”
Among others that addressed the board from 43A, Welch recounted that she was first sworn in as the assistant district attorney in Graham County.
“If you know anything about attorneys, it’s hard to get attorneys to agree on anything. We’re paid to argue and litigate,” Welch said, while discussing Sellers’ letter. “It’s even harder to get judges and the district attorney to agree on things. So to get everyone to agree on this is unbelievable.”
The District 43A representatives assured the board that they would be on standby to help the county in any way to get the center built.
The Star examined Sellers’ letter as part of an in-depth report last month. Read the article, “Judge issues courthouse warning” for free on grahamstar.com.
Both Monday and Tuesday’s meetings were live-streamed and beginning this weekend, can be viewed on the Star’s YouTube channel.