Morgantown Dominion Post
2 August 2007
By Cassie Shaner
Monongalia County Commission meets in regular session at 7 p.m. Monday, in County Commission chambers at the Monongalia County Courthouse, 243 High St.
Residents at a public hearing Tuesday urged the Monongalia County Commission to provide boat access to the Monongahela River at the former Quality Glass site.
"There is not a boat-launching facility in that area down there, and it would be great if we could incorporate that in this," said John Fullmer, of Ackerman Road.
Fullmer noted that many people already use the area for recreation, as the rail-trail runs just behind the county-owned Quality Glass property.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved a $200,000 Brownfields cooperative cleanup agreement to tidy up the 3-acre parcel of land in the small Van Voorhis community, located at the bottom of Van Voorhis Road by the Monongahela River. Brownfields are properties that may be abandoned or underused due to the presence of a hazardous substance.
County Grant Coordinator Joanna Krafczyk said the site has been contaminated with toxic chemicals associated with the production of glass. She couldn't specify which chemicals, but many old glass sites are contaminated due to early manufacturing methods that used lead.
Wallace Venable spoke on behalf of the Upper Mon River Association. He thanked commissioners for moving forward on the project and asked them to develop the site as a "trail support facility" for the railtrail by land and the Upper Mon River Trail by water.
But Venable urged commissioners to be cautious in developing the site, as providing too many amenities in the quiet area could encourage crime. Though Venable said picnic tables would be nice, he noted he did not want trash cans in the area.
"Keep it low-key," he said. "Keep it carry-in, carry-out."
Commission President Bob Bell agreed with both residents' ideas for the site. He noted that an adjoining landowner has offered to provide extra space to create up to 100 parking spaces at the site.
"I hope we can do that," Bell said in response to their requests.
Julie Svetlik, of the Northern WV Brownfields Assistance Center, said the Quality Glass site is being assessed by the state Division of Environmental Protection. That will determine the cost of cleanup, she said.
In other business, the commission:
Discussed creating a new shooting range to be used by law enforcement officials countywide. County facilities Director Bob Doyle said CONSOL Energy has offered the county a piece of property on Indian Creek Road. The range would replace an existing facility that sits dangerously close to the Monongalia County Recycling Center, Doyle said.
"It's within 25 feet of someone dropping off their recyclables," Doyle said. "It's within less than 100 feet of structures of residences."
Doyle said any shooting range facility is supposed to be at least 500 feet from the nearest structure.
Commissioners unanimously approved a motion from Commissioner Asel Kennedy to acquire the property from CONSOL and do preliminary work on a joint financing agreement.
Unanimously approved a motion from Kennedy to authorize Steptoe & Johnson to draw up paperwork to pay off the debt service for the county's 911 center, built in 1997. The county owes about $650,000.
Kennedy said paying up will save the county money on interest and free about $60,000 per year now used to pay off the loan.
Debated the possibility of a historic marker for Scotts Run. Commissioner John Pyles read a letter from the state Division of Culture and History asking the commission to reconsider a request from resident Louis Birurakis, of Cobun Avenue, to place a sign at the end of the new Osage bridge or the Edith Barill Bridge, in Star City. The sign would designate Scotts Run a historic area.
Birurakis has repeatedly asked commissioners to consider a sign, but Bell and Kennedy both say the state Division of Highways won't allow it. Kennedy urged Pyles to forward the letter to the DOH.