Herald photo by Lynn Hotaling
A special meeting of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners
has been called for Monday, Nov. 29, to discuss the future of the
Hooper House. County plans to expand the adjacent public library
could prevent the transfer of the property to those who want to
restore the 1905 structure and use it for a variety of cultural and
tourism functions.
More on Hooper House . . .
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The transfer of the Hooper House could depend on a lot - including a parking lot.
County Commission Chairman Jay Denton amended both his work session and regular meeting agendas to include a discussion on the property and several questions he had concerning the transfer of the West Main Street property to the Hooper House Foundation, a non-profit organization established to preserve the structure and utilize it for a variety of cultural and tourism functions.
"I'm not comfortable with the deed as is," Denton said during a meeting Nov. 18, which had been scheduled a month earlier as the date to transfer the property. "Some things need to be added for the safety of the county and the foundation."
Assuring the parking lot behind the house is always available for the public, including those who use the public library, and guaranteeing the building will be used as outlined by the foundation were among his concerns. The board chairman also questioned how the library expansion project might affect the Hooper House property and where the Friends of the Library might relocate following the transfer.
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