Morgantown Dominion Post
19 October 2005
By Mark Grandstaff
Revised plans for the Waterfront marina project will go out to bidders Nov. 30.
The project was presented to the Morgantown City Council on Tuesday.
When complete, its docks will stretch 100 feet into the Monongahela River, spanning a fourth of its width at that point, said representatives from Petroplus & Associates, Paradigm Architecture and DMJM Harris & Associates.
Marina might not be the right word to describe the planned scope of the project, said City Council member Don Spencer.
"A marina, I think to most people, means a gas pump and a dock where you stop by and a guy with a hat fills your gas tank," Spencer said.
The Waterfront marina project will incorporate restaurants, public sightseeing areas, fishing shops and integration with the rail-trail, said Paul Walker, a representative of Paradigm Architecture.
The plans preserve a rock outcropping to the south of the proposed site that has been used as a fishing spot, Walker said.
The docks are meant for a wide spectrum of boats and boaters, he said.
Stern-wheeler riverboats cannot be accommodated by the existing plans, said Rich Lane, a Petroplus representative, but facilities for the boats can be built nearby in the future if the marina project is successful.
The marina building will be dominated by a tower, which has drawn criticism in previous meetings for its resemblance to a lighthouse, Walker said.
The tower's shape is inspired by photographs of the old Westover bridge, he said. Construction will begin after this winter.
The representatives said they hoped the project will be complete by fall 2006.
In other matters, City Council:
Authorized a lease with Flight Source LLC, granting it space for a flight school at the Morgantown Municipal Airport. The lease is an opportunity to add as many as five aircraft to the airport, said City Manager Dan Boroff.
Noted the Mountain Line bus service has published details on its new Grey Line, a route that travels to the Pittsburgh Greyhound station, according to Jim Manilla, deputy mayor. The line will make stops in Fairmont and other points in between, and will cost $25, he said. Details can be found in new Mountain Line pamphlets and at www.busride.org.