Johnson City Commission approves deed transfer for Ashe Street Courthouse

Johnson City commissioners on Thursday approved the deed transfer for the historic Ashe Street Courthouse, which the city will take ownership of from Washington County."This is regionalism at its finest, to see different groups come together and partner to make this dream become a reality," Commissioner Aaron Murphy said.The Washington County Commission approved the deed transference to the city late last month. The resolution noted the city's plans to redevelop the historic building "enjoys strong local and community support and Washington County considers the opportunity to restore and utilize the Ashe Street Courthouse to be of vital interest to the citizens of Washington County now and in the future."The agreement includes a commitment for the Ashe Street property to be transferred from the county to the city in such a way that it meets a public use clause mandated by the federal government in the original deed. Ownership would have reverted to the federal government if the city was unable to find a public use for it.The terms of the property transfer also meet the conditions under which the city has committed to use funds from a $5 million state grant to refurbish and develop the property for the economic good of the region. The city is currently using those funds to renovate the building, and has plans to designate at least a portion of the building for business development.Several members of the Southside Neighborhood Organization told the commission they hope the process for determining how the building will be used and who will occupy it will be transparent, and that they hope the city will take into account opinions from those living near the courthouse.Assistant City Manager Randy Trivette said crews have been working on removing asbestos from the building, a process that's nearly complete. Interior demolition of some walls will begin soon, and construction plans have been completed and sent in to be reviewed by the city's planning department. The Historic Zoning Commission will discuss exterior construction on the building at its next meeting on July 26.The Ashe Street Courthouse was built in 1910 and operated as the Johnson City Postal Savings Bank and Post Office until 1937. It then served as a Washington County Courthouse from 1940 until 1985 before it was renovated to house the county's 911 Emergency Communications District. Dispatchers moved from it to their current location in Boones Creek in 2017.Preliminary architectural plans show Johnson City hopes to restore the original 1910 courthouse and demolish a single-story 1,600-square-foot section of the building facing Earnest Street that was added in 1965. In doing so, the renovation would create a new pedestrian-friendly entrance accessible from Earnest and West Walnut streets.As part of the deed transfer, Johnson City will reimburse the county nearly $120,000 for re-roofing work it paid for at the courthouse last year as part of the agreement.Other business• City commissioners approved on first reading the rezoning of the property where 145 units of replacement housing for John Sevier Center residents will be constructed. The roughly $31 million project is expected to be completed in 2025, and is located on a 20-acre tract of land at 2162 S. Roan St. near Food City.The city's Planning Commission unanimously approved the rezoning at its June meeting. The rezoning will have to appear before the City Commission two more times.• Johnson City also approved a slew of committee appointments on Thursday, appointing and re-appointing more than 30 people to 11 different committees. The City Commission held a workshop on June 16 to identify their preferred candidates to fill those roles. More than 100 people applied.They appointed people to:The Board of Dwelling Standards (2).BrightRidge board of directors (1).Johnson City Convention and Visitors Bureau (3).Emergency Medical Services board of directors (2).Health and Educational Facilities Board (2).Housing and Community Development Board (2).Johnson City Development Authority (8).Johnson City Public Library Board (2).Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (4).Johnson City Regional Planning Commission (1).Public Art Committee (8).Protesters gather outside city hallProtesters gathered outside the Municipal and Safety Building during the commission's meeting on Thursday demanding Police Chief Karl Turner be placed on leave pending a third-party investigation into claims his department didn't properly investigate a man accused of raping multiple women, and then fired a federal prosecutor when she pressed for a deeper investigation.A federal lawsuit filed by former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kateri Dahl last month accuses Turner of manufacturing false complaints about her job performance as a pretext to fire her because she continued to push for a deeper investigation into the man. In the lawsuit, Dahl claims Turner may have been protecting the man from prosecution because of a corrupt connection with the police department or to cover up the department's incompetence in investigating him.It also accuses the department of botching the man's arrest on a federal warrant for an ammunition charge.Dahl has also filed whistleblower disclosures with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General and the Criminal Division of the Public Integrity Section, urging them to investigate the JCPD and her termination.In a statement on Wednesday, City Manager Cathy Ball said they city will request a third-party review of police actions "as is standard practice for investigations related to law enforcement," the statement said."Questions have arisen about the Department's handling of sexual assault cases and particularly those related to 'Robert Voe,'" Ball said, referencing the alias used in Dahl's lawsuit to protect the man's identity. "Please know: the Johnson City Police Department and the City of Johnson City take violent crimes and sexual assault very seriously. It is important to note that victims of sexual assault face a tremendously difficult choice in pursuing charges against an attacker."Ball said an internal investigation has thus far "not determined any of the allegations to be founded.""It is understandable that some in our community may be alarmed by recent allegations against the Johnson City Police Department," Ball said. "Serious allegations have been made, and we ask that everyone reserve judgment until all the facts can be presented."Johnson City commissioners met in an executive session earlier in the afternoon to discuss the suit.At the end of the commission meeting Thursday, one man tried to bring up the allegations in the lawsuit, but was told by commissioners he could only discuss items on the agenda. Ball then told him their attorney advised the commission during their executive session to not discuss the lawsuit."We have been advised by our attorney, because we have a pending lawsuit, that we should not speak about this," Ball told him. "We appreciate you coming, but we are not at liberty to be able to talk about this."After the meeting ended, protesters remained outside city hall hoping to speak with the commissioners as they left. A heavy rain storm moving through the area, however, forced them to leave before the commissioners left city hall.Press Staff Writer Robert Houk contributed to this report.