Hot Springs board rejects nonbinding letter of intent to sell Majestic site for new county library

Mayor Pat McCabe presided over a contentious discussion and a final roll-call vote in which the Hot Springs board declined to issue a nonbinding letter of intent that would have effectively accepted a contingent offer from the Garland County Library to buy the Majestic property for $2,350,000.

The vote capped a multi-hour exchange that included a staff reading of Resolution R-26-112 and testimony from more than a dozen residents, private developers and library officials. The resolution ' labeled Option B in the board packet ' would have made the city party to a purchase agreement contingent on a countywide voter-approved millage on Nov. 3, 2026 and the city's subsequent zoning and site-plan approvals.

Garland County Library Director Adam Webb told the board the library reached its site choice after focus groups, civic listening sessions, a poll of likely voters and feasibility work. "We did focus groups. We did five focus groups. We did civic listening sessions. We sent out surveys to the community," Webb said, adding that the library's consultant polling showed a slight preference for the Majestic site over alternatives.

Opponents and supporters framed the question differently. Local residents who favored the Majestic location cited history and downtown access: Jean Lacefield, who lives four blocks from the site, said it would "stabilize" the northern end of the city and recalled the Majestic's historical role. Natasha Saint Martin, a county resident, described what a downtown library can provide for students, job seekers and seniors and urged the board to allow voters to decide.

Other speakers urged caution. Virginia Laliberte asked the board to refrain from signaling commitment before a transparent evaluation of alternatives, saying "the public deserves the confidence that all reasonable alternatives have been considered and evaluated." Real-estate developer Keith Hamaker called the Majestic "nothing more than a money pit," warning taxpayers could bear long-term costs, and Brenda Brandenburg argued the city should seek a use that generates tax revenue for downtown.

Board members also weighed constituent feedback and economic development trade-offs. Director Dudley Webb presented a district and county survey he conducted (about 80 responses) which he said showed roughly 90% opposed the Majestic site and 86.7% opposed issuing a nonbinding LOI; he said those results guide his decision. Director Karen Garcia emphasized constituent concerns about limited economic impact from a library on that parcel and the loss of a site that could produce tax revenue.

City Attorney Brian Albright clarified the legal mechanics: the offer would remain open until 12 noon on July 22, 2026, and the resolution the board considered would accept the contingent offer subject to the two contingencies noted in the agreement.

When the board called roll on the resolution, Directors Marsha Dobbs Smith, Dudley Webb, Karen Garcia and Trustee voted No; Director Erin Holiday and Mayor Pat McCabe voted Aye. The motion failed.

What happens next: because the resolution failed, the city did not accept the library's contingent purchase offer. Library leaders said they would continue to pursue options if they decide the Majestic site is the right path; Adam Webb said the board's failure to act would mean the library may pursue contingent offers on other sites while planning for a November ballot measure, noting earlier polling and a projected building program of about 90,000 sq ft with an estimated cost around $27 million.

The board's decision was procedural (a vote on a nonbinding LOI) not a final determination on design or funding; the countywide funding referendum, if advanced by the library board, would still require voter approval to proceed with construction or purchase.