Carl Ferebee never doubted Lafayette Gatling was in default but thought it wasn’t time to end his lease to buy the Roanoke Rapids Theatre deal.

“I voted to not send a letter because at the time I still thought the negotiation possibilities were out there,” he said in a telephone interview today. “I wanted to make sure that was fully done. I fully understand the theater is in default. I thought they were still going on and a new payment schedule was being discussed.”

Ferebee said he wanted to make sure both parties were finished with negotiations. “Mr. Gatling was continuing to send some money. I would have liked for us to meet with Mr. Gatling to be sure he understands the intent of default. I would have liked to talked to him directly.”

Like other council members said Monday, after the panel voted unanimously to find Gatling in default and there was a split vote to end the contract, Ferebee said, “Over the past year Mr. Gatling and L&M Hospitality have been good partners. They got us through some serious times. I thought they deserved a little more amicable split.”

Ferebee said he believes that is especially true since Gatling planned to develop property around the theater.

The councilman hopes Gatling will continue to develop property. “I hope he will not look at that as done. In order for the theater to be successful it’s going to take some other development out there,” he said.

Ferebee believes the economy was what went wrong for Gatling and, he said, “The amount of money to put on a show. You have to have an exorbitant amount to put on a show. The economic conditions hurt a little bit. He probably thought that he would have been able to buy it by now.”