MORGANTOWN — A handful of downtown business owners are asking the city for help in dealing with what they see as an epidemic of homelessness, loitering, substance abuse and criminal behavior in the city’s business district.
Much of it, they explained, is emanating from Walnut Street, the home of Health Right’s Friendship House.
During Tuesday’s Morgantown City Council meeting, Jillian Kelly, owner of Retrotique, at 218 Walnut Street, said she’s been in business downtown about seven years, but the things she’s witnessed in the last year or so “are like nothing I’ve seen before.”
“I’m often told by my customers that they don’t feel safe shopping downtown, and I can’t really blame them because I don’t really feel safe in my own shop,” Kelly said. “I’m never there alone.”
Kelly laid out a timeline of events going back a month or so that included instances of harassment, drug use, threats of violence and violence, including an incident earlier this month when a man was beaten with a baseball bat.
Stephanie Swain, owner of Hoot and Howl, at 245 Walnut Street, said people would need to witness the daily activity to believe the level and consistency of what goes on.
“I would welcome any and all of you to come and visit me at my store … You’re more than welcome to sit there and observe the situation that we’re in,” she said. “You’ll see quite a lot.”
Swain’s neighbor across Walnut Street, Gary Tannenbaum of the Blue Moose Cafe, agreed, and asked the city to look at the public nuisance law it has on the books to see what can be done.
While each of the Walnut Street business owners lauded the work of Health Right and the Friendship House and conceded they’re fighting an uphill battle, they said the situation is hurting business and the city, and is becoming untenable.
Caitlin Sussman, program director of the Friendship House, said she’s aware of the sentiment and explained that Health Right and the Friendship House are doing the best they can to stem a flood of addiction and mental health issues with very limited resources.
“We’re doing the best we can. We do need help. We could use more staff to do more monitoring,” Sussman said. “I’m sorry it’s come to this point.”
She went on to explain, “This is a we issue, not just a Health Right issue, not just our clients’ issue. This is an issue for all of us. This is not just a ‘those people’ issue. We’re doing the best we can. We can always do better.”
L.J. Giuliani, president of Main Street Morgantown and a downtown business owner, said the city needs to work with the county, state and WVU to attack the problem.
“We are being asked to combat an epidemic and our services are ill-equipped, our police officers are ill-equipped. It’s time to start creating action, establish partnerships,” Giuliani said. “If we don’t, we’re going to get farther and farther behind.”
In other city news, council:
- Approved on second reading an ordinance making Second Street one-way. The vote was 5-2 with Zack Cruze and Ron Dulaney voting in the minority.
- Granted a birthday wish for Riley Huggins, who asked that she be able to meet Morgantown Mayor Bill Kawecki for her seventh birthday.
