City of New Smyrna Beach issued the following announcement on Aug. 12.
The City Commission joined up with former New Smyrna Beach mayors, commissioners, and state Senator Tom Wright on Tuesday, Aug. 10 to cut the ribbon on the city’s new Development Services & Commission Chambers. A renovation of the old weeping mortar church located next to historic City Hall, this new building at 214 Sams Ave. houses state-of-the-art chambers for public meetings as well as new office space for city Planning, Engineering, and Building Department staff.
Following an open house during which attendees had free rein to explore the new building, Mayor Russ Owen gave remarks thanking everyone involved with the project and laying out his vision of what it represents.
“This is what New Smyrna is all about,” said Owen. “We’re growth and progress, but also preservation. We protect our history, we look to our history, but we also know that we must move forward and continue to see good things and see good progress. This, to me, is that perfect blend of those.”
Shortly after the ribbon cutting, Mayor Owen then invited former longtime Mayor James Hathaway and his family inside to unveil a plaque officially designating the new chambers as the James W. Hathaway Chambers and offer him the honor of calling the first meeting to be held within them to order using a gavel shaped from original lumber recovered during the building’s renovation.
“I’m not sure this is an official meeting with a former official calling this thing to order, but since the mayor’s allowed me to come up here to do so with the concurrence of the Commission, I guess I can do this,” joked Hathaway before gaveling in the meeting to enthusiastic applause and reflecting on his tenure.
“I look around the room and see so many familiar faces and there are days I miss, obviously, being here on this dais. But I’ve got to admit there are days I don’t,” Hathaway confessed to a laughing audience. “I don’t miss some of the irritated individuals, who had a right to be irritated, that we had to deal with. It is what it is. That’s part of government. That’s part of our democracy, and I’m glad to see that it really works and it’s working so very well in this community.”
Hathaway then went on to share his views on growth, saying, “You know, we do have growth. I can remember many years back when people were begging us to bring some growth to the community because their children were having to leave New Smyrna Beach to go elsewhere to find a job. And then we have a lot of the folks who came here to retire in New Smyrna Beach and said, ‘Oh, please stop the growth. Please stop the growth.’ Well, growth is going to always occur. We all have to learn to adapt and at least try to do what we are doing best here in New Smyrna Beach by preserving this great old building and redoing it in the greatest manner. I mean, it was funny. I heard some people say earlier that there would be some prayers given in this building. Well, there’ll probably be some swear words too, but remember you’re in a former church so be careful!”
Original source can be found here.
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