The old Rutherford College Town Hall, which served from 1977 until the new Town Hall was opened in 2008.
A historical mural adorns one side of the old Rutherford College Town Hall on Malcolm Boulevard.
For more than a decade, the Community Room of the Rutherford College Town Hall has served as the early voting site in primary and general elections for central Burke County.
This year, during early voting, 3,340 ballots were cast there.
Come 2028, however, the county will have to find a new place for early voters to mark their ballots.
In a 5-1 vote at the council’s regular monthly meeting on Monday evening, Town Manager Jessica Bargsley was instructed to notify the county that, “We will no longer be able to accommodate early voting at Rutherford College Town Hall for future elections.”
Bargsley had reminded the council that the Community Room is heavily utilized, not only for town-sponsored events but for community activities and private rentals as well.
“It really ties up our Community Room for three weeks in the spring and again for three weeks in the fall,” Bargsley said. “That is a lot of time to go without that space and the service and income it provides.”
In her official notification letter to the county, Bargsley noted that use of the Community Room for voting had “increased scheduling conflicts and logistical challenges, making it difficult to accommodate both our regular operations and the needs of the Board of Elections.”
Prior to voting on the issue, council members Carroll Hoyle and Starr-Nell Bowman said they would like to see the Board of Elections find another early voting site within the town limits.
“I like the idea that folks coming into town to vote get a look at who we are and what we’re doing,” said Hoyle.
Councilman Kress Berry said, however, “That decision is not up to us. It is totally up to the Board of Elections.”
The vote to instruct Bargsley to notify the county of the decision was 5-1, with Bowman voting “No.”
Bargsley and Mayor Yates Jensen said they are hopeful that town hall can continue to serve as a precinct voting site for primary and election day voting.
With the decision made on Election Eve, board of elections officials have not yet responded to questions from The Paper about what alternative voting sites might be looked at.
OLD TOWN HALL RENOVATION
In addition to dealing with the early voting site issue, the council also on Monday night learned that John Carew, a former Florida businessman who recently moved to Rutherford College, is interested in redeveloping the old town hall at 930 Malcolm Blvd. as a coffee shop/town welcome center.
Carew specializes in taking older properties and repurposing them and sees the building as a great spot to launch a business.
“We can’t let go of a building with that kind of heritage,” Carew said in a phone interview. “We envision it as becoming a real community gathering place.”
Prior to the reincorporation of Rutherford College in 1977, the building served for a time as the area post office.
Other than storage, the former town hall has not been used for municipal purposes since the current town hall opened in April of 2008.
The Foothills Service Project maintains a small office in part of the building, but according to Bargsley does not pay rent and has been looking for a more central location.
The Foothills Service Project operates the thrift store between the Drexel intersections of U.S. 70 and uses the money raised there to pay for the construction of handicapped ramps for those who can’t afford them.
“We’re asking for a 40-year lease from the town,” Carew said. “We will pay for the renovations and, of course, pay for the utilities going forward. The coffee shop would be on one side and the historical displays/welcome center on the other.
“We really want to showcase the history and the heritage of Rutherford College to our customers,” Carew continued. “We’re thinking of making it seasonal, where we change things out as the seasons change.”
Bargsley said the town’s attorney is now considering a possible lease, and the council will probably act on the issue at its December meeting.
Bill Poteat is editor emeritus. He may be reached at 828-445-8595 or bill@thepaper.media.
