KINGWOOD — The State Division of Highways is asking Kingwood to take over the upkeep of Hospital Hill Road.
City Clerk Mary Howell said the state indicated in a letter that it took care of the road for 45 years only because Preston Memorial Hospital was there and it was justified as a public need.
“They now believe the road should be taken over by the City of Kingwood, even though part of it is not in the city limits,” she said.
She said the city also had a letter from the Kingwood Volunteer Fire Department, which owns the former hospital property, asking for an opinion on this.
KVFD wants the city to indicate which portion of South Price Street is a city street. Mayor Jean-Manuel Guillot said both the DOH and the city plow Price Street.
“The state plows all the way to North Price Street,” he said.
“They just painted it,” Councilman Dick Shaffer said, referring to the lines on the street. “The hospital has been gone for two years and they are still painting it,” Guillot said.
Kingwood was also told it cannot paint a crosswalk in front of Kingwood Elementary, on Price Street.
“Clarksburg [DOH] said you are not putting cross walks on our road,” Councilman Mike Lipscomb said.
City attorney Christopher Miller advised council to write a summary of how long the state has been taking care of the road. He said he would then contact the state about it.
In other business, Howell said she is making a list of Kingwood city streets to determine which streets are owned and maintained by the state, which belong to the city, which city streets are dedicated and which are not dedicated.
Council also discussed whether the fencing ordinance should be a stand alone ordinance or if it should be added to the zoning ordinance. Miller told council it would be easier to combine it with the zoning ordinance and approve it as an amendment.
The sewer ordinance will be on the Tuesday evening council agenda.
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