It seems BOPARC, the Morgantown Utility Board and the City of Morgantown have finally come to an agreement regarding remediation efforts in White Park.
The consensus is three years in the making. In 2019, MUB planned to run a raw water pipeline through White Park to connect the George B. Fleagel Dam and Reservoir to the utility’s water treatment plant off Don Knotts Boulevard. In the process, MUB marked a bunch of trees to be cut down to make space for the construction. Public outcry ensued, and an arrangement was made among BOPARC, MUB and the city for MUB to replant double the number of trees it removed and create a trail. The pipeline was completed, but none of the remediation work was started.
Now, with a new, clearer agreement in place, the work can begin as early as this summer. Under the new terms, MUB will provide the city with the funds to hire a contractor to plant 326 trees over time. The utility will also pay for the new trail. According to the design plans already in hand, the trail will be a 5,765-foot loop configuration comprised of a 39-inch-wide natural surface trail with one water crossing.
One should always leave a place better than when one found it. It’s only right, then, that MUB is responsible for restoring the park. We’re glad all the parties have (finally) come together and defined satisfactory terms so the remediation can begin. And we’re sure the community will be glad to have its park back.
