Morgantown Dominion Post
27 July 2008
By Eric Bowen
While Morgantown has been developing recreational activities along the Monongahela River, Granville Mayor Patricia Lewis said that a lot is happening "on our side of the river" as well.
Granville has contracted with CONSOL to lease some of its property along the western bank of the river. She said the town plans to put in a boat ramp and parking for boat trailers.
Lewis said the town plans to add park elements, such as a gazebo and picnic tables, to make the area a nice spot for local residents. She said it will be a big draw for people who don't want to drive to Star City or Morgantown to put into the water.
"I think there is a high demand for it," Lewis said. "That's been a desire of people on our side of the river to have a place to take their kids fishing, to be able to put in a boat, rather than having to drive all the way to ... Star City. I think it will be used a lot, maybe not just by the citizens of Granville, but just by people on our side of the river."
Along with the riverfront development, Lewis said that Granville also plans to put in a park-and-ride lot across W.Va. 100. The lot will be along the new bus line that goes through Cassville and could be used by commuters who work in downtown Morgantown.
Lewis said the park-and-ride will also be available for riders of Mountain Line Transit Authority's proposed water bus. And she hopes to get a grant that would extend the sidewalk from Granville's residential area out to the new riverfront development.
"We want to make it family friendly where a family can go and take a picnic lunch and be right along the river, or if the kids want to throw in their fishing line," Lewis said. "We're excited about it. I'm kind of impatient here. It just takes time."
Westover Mayor Dave Johnson said the city is in talks with some developers who have shown interest in developing the city's riverfront area, but he would not elaborate.
"There's some interested parties, but we can't get into what it is about at the moment," he said.