BELHAVEN — The Belhaven Community Chamber of Commerce is speaking out against criticism of its decision to keep a newly acquired piece of land.

The controversy stemmed from the December transfer of property from Marian Keech to the Chamber of Commerce, a 0.56-acre plot located at 166 E. Water St., adjoining the former Vidant Pungo Hospital. Keech gave the property as a gift, at no cost to the Chamber, and covered the 2015 property taxes.

Belhaven officials have since pressured the Chamber to turn over the land to the town, as it is part of the area under Belhaven’s notice of eminent domain. By securing the old hospital property and the surrounding areas, the Town of Belhaven will be eligible for a $6 million USDA loan to help cover the costs of reopening the hospital.

After confronting Chamber President Dianne Bowen about the issue at a previous Board of Aldermen meeting, Mayor Adam O’Neal has since extended an invitation to discuss the Chamber’s decision again at Wednesday’s Board of Aldermen meeting.

“We respectfully ask the chamber to fulfill its fiduciary duty to promote business development in our community by donating the subject property to the hospital effort,” O’Neal wrote in a letter to Bowen. “Your agreement with this request would display a good faith gesture toward providing jobs, commerce and health in not only Belhaven, but our entire Northeastern Beaufort County Community.”

The Chamber board has expressed its desire to use the land for other purposes, perhaps for funds to renovate the Chamber of Commerce building on Main Street or for building new property.

“We respectfully decline this action and the invitation to appear at the meeting,” Bowen wrote in response. “At a previous council meeting, you suggested that the Chamber had ‘lost its mission,’ and I want to take this opportunity to address this issue with you. The current Board of the Chamber has a clear view of our mission to advance the economic, industrial, professional, cultural and civic welfare of the Belhaven Community and surrounding areas.”

Bowen continued: “Our goal is to make Belhaven once again the thriving center of a robust area economy that supports many successful businesses and offers a myriad of well-paying employment opportunities. This year we are working to significantly increase tourism by marketing our history, natural beauty and events.”

Because the Chamber decided not to give over the property, the Town of Belhaven will have to pay to obtain the land under eminent domain. The land has a tax value of more than $380,000.

But Chamber officials maintain that they are supporting the town in other ways, and feel it is in the best interest of the town to use it for other purposes.