MORGANTOWN — A property swap between the city of Morgantown and WVU is needed ahead of a state project to realign the intersection of Campus Drive and Beechurst Avenue.
That was one of two issues Morgantown City Council moved forward for consideration during a brief Tuesday night committee of the whole session.
The meeting was held virtually and marked council’s first meeting since Jan. 11. Last week’s regular session was cancelled, in part, because of a COVID outbreak that impacted the city’s executive staff as well as the city’s ability to broadcast or record meetings.
As part of a larger series of improvements to the Beechurst corridor, the West Virginia Department of Highways intends to square up the Campus/Beechurst intersection.
Included in that work will be the addition of right turn lanes from Beechurst onto Campus and from Campus onto Beechurst.
In order to make that possible, a portion of Campus Drive will have to be moved.
City Engineer Damien Davis explained “As part of that, WVU is giving up a portion of their property to relocate Campus Drive, which is a city right of way. Then we’re turning that portion of the existing Campus Drive, that is no longer being utilized, over to WVU.”
Work on the Beechurst corridor improvements is slated to begin this spring. It was previously explained the project would take one-and-a-half construction seasons to complete.
In other city news, council plans to take up an ordinance that will repeal and replace Article 906 of city code, pertaining to outdoor dining.
“The major change in this ordinance is that instead of a single permit, there are now three permit types,” City Attorney Ryan Simonton said. “Those have been added in coordination with the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration and in order to parallel the permits they now use after the 2021 omnibus alcohol legislation.”
If ultimately passed, the three permit types will be:
Sidewalk dining permits — Basically what the city implemented in November on the sidewalk in front of Gibbie’s.
Outdoor street dining — Where the city closes a portion of a street to vehicles and allows restaurants and other business to serve the public in the right of way.
Outdoor dining permit — Floor plan extensions or other alcohol licensing that’s conducted outdoors but not on the public right of way.
Simonton said the changes were written as to not impact those who already serve food or drink in outdoor spaces, like patios.
According to Simonton, the new language will provide more detailed standards for the type furniture and enclosures needed for outdoor dining areas.
Additionally, he said the new ordinance is intended to streamline the permitting process, which will be handled through the city’s development services office.
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