KINGWOOD — Kingwood Council is discussing taking action next month if the owners of a downtown building don’t make repairs so a fence around it can be removed.
In August, council gave the owners of the Herring Building, located at the corner of Main and Price Streets, until Friday to begin repairs or the city would proceed with condemnation action.
B&L Properties, Inc., bought the building in 2016 for $34,000. Council has worked with the company for more than a year to get repairs made. The company’s response has once again been that it can’t find a contractor, Mayor Jean Guillot said Tuesday.
In a Sept. 14 email to Kingwood, Lovonza Hairston of B&L, LLC, of Charleston again said she is trying to find a contractor. She listed 19 people or firms she said she has contacted and three with whom she set appointments.
Councilman Josh Fields said once the time limit given has passed, council should act. “She’s been given ample opportunity to correct it,” Fields said.
“We contacted them and wanted it done for the bicentennial, then we wanted it done by the Buckwheat Festival, and that wasn’t done,” Guillot said.
Council asked that the matter be on its Oct. 9 agenda. If B&L hasn’t taken steps to begin repairs by then, action needs to be taken, the mayor and Fields said.
A plastic fence on the Main Street (W.Va. 7) side of the building has blocked the sidewalk for more than a year because of stone falling from the 104-year-old building. Other business owners complained to council that the blocked sidewalk hurts them, and council is concerned about people walking into the road to get around it.
Also at the meeting, council:
approved a business license for Oaks and Derby and were told Sprint, which is already open, has applied for a business license.
agreed to advertise a part-time position at city hall.
approved Preston Memorial placing pink ribbons on lamp posts in town in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
went into executive session with attorney Tammy DeFazio regarding a lawsuit against the city by a couple who say it allowed sewage to back up into their basement.
