It will likely be March before subdivision regulations are up for public hearing and May before they’re enacted, pending approval by the Monongalia County Commission.
At the request of County Planning Director Andrew Gast-Bray, the commission approved extending the development of the planning document, which has been a desire of the county to varying degrees dating back to the late 1960s.
Gast-Bray said the topography and nature of Monongalia County prevent the use of copy-and-paste regulations from other areas.
Additionally, he said his office is working to create regulations dealing largely with access management and water runoff that veer more toward incentives than requirements.
“I think that since we are making progress on an incentive-based program in the subdivision ordinance to help encourage good and better development for Monongalia County, I think that this extension is worthwhile,” Gast-Bray told the commission.
The extension will cost about $30,000 in additional attorney and engineering fees.
In other county news, the commission gave the initial approval of a 10-year lease with the state for space in the new Monongalia County Extension Services and 4-H Center, located in Mylan Park.
The lease, which takes effect Feb. 1, will provide 2,962 square feet of office space for the West Virginia Department of Agriculture on the building’s second floor at a monthly rate of $4,702.18, or $19.05 per square foot.
Commissioner Sean Sikora said the lease must now get signatures from the West Virginia Department of Administration, Real Estate Division and the Department of Agriculture before coming back for final approval by the commission.
Additionally:
- County Clerk Carye Blaney said candidate filing will run through Jan. 25. In addition to normal business hours, the clerk’s office will be open from 9 a.m.- noon on Saturdays for candidates.
- Neil Leftwich, minister of the Spruce Street United Methodist Church, thanked the commission for providing $10,000 to help fund the overflow warming shelter held at the church.
Leftwich said more than 100 people have been served by the shelter so far this winter season.
- Commissioner Tom Bloom said there are still more than 1,500 applications to be had for Census takers in Monongalia County.
- Bloom said groups will be out at various locations — the Monongalia County Courthouse, the Morgantown Public Library and a location on campus — on Feb. 3 to encourage and assist in getting people signed up for Census jobs.
He said additional information will be available in the coming days.
