More: Treasure Coast has a lot of history, but not so many old historic buildings | Opinion

Voters in Martin County have a lot to consider as they prepare for the August 20 election.

Three seats on the Martin County Commission are up for grabs, representing a controlling majority on the five-member body.

A seat on the school board is also up for election, with incumbent Marsha Powers facing a challenge from political newcomer Sydney Thomas.

For the residents of Stuart: Both the city’s current and former mayors are up for election and seeking re-election to their seats on the City Commission against up-and-coming challengers.

All of this means that not much attention was paid to a referendum on the ballot of Stuart residents to approve a city lease with the Stuart Feed Store/Stuart Heritage Museum.

Don’t miss this voting question

Specifically, the ballot states: “Should the City enter into a long-term lease for the property known as the Stuart Heritage Museum or Stuart Feed Store? This lease would provide for the continued use and maintenance of the property by the Board of Directors of the Stuart Heritage Museum.”

Voters in a hurry to fill out their ballot could easily overlook this question. Some may not understand what it is asking and may vote “no” or not provide an answer to this question at all.

Frankly, these scenarios worry me a little. The Stuart Feed Store/Stuart Heritage Museum vote deserves a resounding “yes.”

The meaning of this question cannot be precisely described in legal jargon.

The Stuart Feed Store, located at 161 SW Flagler Ave. in the city’s historic district, is operated by a nonprofit group as a museum of the city’s history.

The building that now houses the museum was built in 1901 by George Washington Parks as a general store on a site not far from the current location.

Parks played an important role in the city’s history in the decades that followed. He was a highly respected businessman and community leader who served as alderman and then as mayor in 1918 and 1919.

Geo. W. Parks’ general merchandise store became an important community gathering place, expanding several times until it was eventually four times its original size. In 1925, the building was moved about 40 feet from its original location to make room for a road widening project.

In addition to the other goods the store sold, Parks became the city’s local supplier of kerosene, lubricating oil, and gasoline. He died in 1943 from injuries sustained when one of his fuel containers exploded.

The store changed hands over the next few years, but the building remained in operation as the Stuart Feed Store until it was purchased by the city in 1988.

In this case, it would be good to maintain the status quo

Although the building was not in particularly good condition at the time of purchase, the city eventually raised enough money to restore it to its current function in 1992.

The Stuart Heritage Museum Board of Directors oversees the operation of the building with volunteers for a symbolic rent of $1 per year.

However, there is an ordinance that does not allow the city to lease its property along the waterfront for more than 10 years without voter approval, so the referendum is necessary this year.

“The reason it’s important is because we don’t have a lease with the city of Stuart,” says Gloria Fike, a museum board member and volunteer.

A majority of citizens would give the city commission the authority to enter into a new lease, presumably at the same price of one dollar per year, without affecting the status quo.

The museum board, which relies on donations to support its efforts, has spent about $1,000 to spread the word about the importance of the referendum. That’s small change compared to what some candidates spend on their campaigns, but it’s what the board can afford.

“We’re trying to do this on a shoestring budget,” Fike said.

Because it is located in the “tourist” part of downtown, some locals may not visit the museum often. Some newcomers to the city may not even know of its existence.

A rare treasure that contains even more rare treasures

The museum is important for many reasons.

As I noted in a column three years ago when the building celebrated its 120th anniversary, it is one of the oldest structures on the Treasure Coast.

It is made from Dade County pine, a type of wood that is very difficult to find these days.

It has somehow withstood the devastating effects of tropical storms, heat and humidity that prematurely destroy many Florida buildings. By luck or circumstance, it has also managed to evade the builders’ bulldozers, no small feat in a state where new construction is often worth more than weather-aged buildings.

Although the Elliott Museum near Stuart Beach has much of Martin County’s history on display, the Stuart Heritage Museum focuses on the town’s history.

The basement and ground floor feature an impressive collection of artifacts donated by local residents. One of the most popular areas on the ground floor is a section of old high school yearbooks, where people can see what their great-grandparents looked like in their heyday.

“It’s about preserving our heritage from the beginning,” Fike said. “There is so much that is important here that we need to preserve.”

The worst-case scenarios could be quite bleak

So what would happen if the referendum fails?

In the short term, the City Commission could enter into a management agreement with the museum board that would allow the organization to continue its current duties as a private contractor rather than a tenant.

But as the years go by, elections are held and commission members change, and with those changes can come new priorities. As I’ll discuss in more detail in “Saving Stuart, Florida,” a historical book to be published this fall, it wasn’t long ago that developers were interested in converting the building into a restaurant to complement plans for a riverfront marina that never made it past the drawing board.

If the building were given over to private enterprise, its future would be unclear. Perhaps it would start out as a quaint restaurant, similar to Little Jim’s in Fort Pierce. But if the building is no longer used as a cultural institution, who’s to say it won’t be torn down at some point to make way for a more modern restaurant like Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen or something similar?

I don’t want that to happen. Fike doesn’t want that to happen. I don’t think most people in Stuart want that to happen.

Unless they vote yes in the referendum, we have no certainty about what the future holds.

Florida – and especially the Treasure Coast – needs cultural attractions like the Stuart Heritage Museum because not all locals and tourists want to go to the beach all day every day.

And when historic landmarks like the Stuart Feed Store disappear, there is no way to restore them.

This column reflects the opinions of Blake Fontenay. Contact him via email at [email protected] or at 772-232-5424.

This article originally appeared in Treasure Coast Newspapers: Breathing new life into Stuart Feed Store would enrich our lives too