KINGWOOD – The City of Kingwood is changing its infrastructure face.
Kingwood Mayor Jean Guillot said he believes Kingwood is moving in a positive direction.
Guillot was referring to new businesses that recently opened and the changes council is making to the city’s infrastructure.
“The water department is making upgrades,” Guillot said. “We’re looking at replacing grinder pumps and implementing a gravity system. We’re paving roads and partnering with rails-to-trails.”
He said Kingwood recently added Cat Daddy’s Ragin Cajun Cafe, a medical marijuana dispenser that will be opening up soon, and two businesses slated to go into the building next to the courthouse annex.
During the Tuesday meeting of city council, Curtis Stiles, from C&R Woodworking, proposed an outdoor business in the form of craft shows.
He said the craft show would be run like a business, not a yard sale or a flea market. Stiles said about 20 vendors are interested.
“These are legitimate businesses,” he said. “All of the items are handmade by the vendors who pay sales taxes and have to show their business license.”
Stiles said he checked with health officials at the hospital to make sure it would be safe to hold the craft show. He said the vendors would be distanced and hand sanitizer would be available at all booths.
Stiles said he would like to see if the craft show could become an ongoing event.
After a short discussion, council agreed to allow the event in the Civic Center parking lot.
“If you look around town, you see a lot of sold signs,” Guillot said. “You see homes selling and people moving in. That’s positive for the town. We’re expanding our police force. Our forth officer will be returning from National Guard training, then we’ll have four officers instead of three.”
Guillot said council members are also considering improvements to Brown’s Park and the Civic Center.
The Preston Parks and Recreation Commission describes Brown’s Park as featuring playground equipment, the Energy Express Trail, restroom facilities, a basketball court, a volleyball net and a covered pavilion.
In 2017 a historical marker was erected in Brown’s Park by the state as an honor to William G. Brown, who was born in Kingwood in 1800. Brown was one of the first congressmen in 1863, and also was one of the lawmakers who introduced the bill to admit West Virginia as a state. Brown died in 1884 and is buried in Maplewood Cemetery.
The mayor said other improvements council is considering include putting a splash pad at the pool, annexing the water-sewer plant and transfer station into the city, paving more streets and partnering with rails-to-trails.
Guillot said the city will also have a new website soon, recently received a $71,000 recycling grant to make improvements to its recycling program, and is working to clean up Maplewood Cemetery.
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