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“Friends of Historic Northport has not given its blessing to any other plans regarding the Northport Community Center and Park,” the nonprofit said in a statement. “Friends of Historic Northport is a 501c3 nonprofit organization and has neither the authority nor the control over any decisions regarding the Northport Community Center and Park.”

Indeed, there seems to have been a breakdown in communication or possibly a misunderstanding relating to what, exactly, Friends of Historic Northport stood in support of.

“I repeated what was told to the council and mayor,” Council President Jeff Hogg told Patch on Friday. “If I was told incorrectly, I apologize for repeating and assuming that information was accurate.”

On both sides of the issue told Patch that City Administrator Glenda Webb has been the only city official in direct communication with Friends of Historic Northport. Webb was also the only notable absence from Monday night’s meeting and could not be reached for comment for this story.

As Patch previously reported, tempers flared during Monday night’s council meeting when dozens showed up in opposition to the measure. Hogg ultimately denied their request to speak as part of the public record and the council unanimously approved to allow Beeker Property Group to begin marketing the property over the next 180 days.

The vote came after Hogg asked Northport Police officers to restore order over the crowd as many were speaking out of turn to demand the right to speak against the measure before the vote as part of the public record.

“At the end of the day, everyone wants the same thing which is a better Northport,” Hogg said Friday. “How we get there may be two different roads but hopefully it leads to the same destination.”

District 1 Councilwoman and Council Pro Tem Christy Bobo told Patch she voted “yes” to hearing proposals and stressed the fact that the property has not been sold nor has the City Council voted on the sale of the property.

“I personally have committed to the mission of maintaining the historic look of downtown Northport,” she said. “The citizens who have spoken out in disapproval of the project have every right to do so. However, I am a bit disheartened with the personal attacks from adults online criticizing different parts of my body because they think I voted to sell their beloved community center when no vote has actually occurred regarding the sale. We should all be more kind to one another and stick to the facts in order to work together instead of the way ‘old Northport’ has behaved in the past. I for one would like to be proud of my city and how we work this out together in the coming months.”

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