MORGANTOWN — Morgantown City Council bid farewell to 3rd Ward Councilor Ixya Vega Tuesday during her final meeting as member of the body.
Council presented Vega with a proclamation, noting among other things that Vega was not only the youngest person, but the first Latina ever elected to Morgantown Council. She was also the second write-in candidate ever elected when she won the seat in 2021.
Vega previously explained she’s moving back to Chicago to be closer to her family and will not attend council’s June meetings.
She was one of two candidates representing Morgantown Can’t Wait to win a seat in the 2021 election, along with 7th Ward Councilor Brian Butcher.
“I want you to know publicly that I’ll always show up for you and I’ll always be there when you need a straight, white cis man,” Butcher said. “You’re one of the fiercest people I’ve ever met, and it’s been an honor to be your friend.”
Also on Tuesday, council adopted zoning changes for two parcels at the corner of Van Voorhis Road and Burroughs Street — from PRO (professional, residential and office) to B-2 (service business).
The parcels are currently an empty two-acre field fronting Van Voorhis and the Advantage Health and Wellness lot on the corner.
The zoning change application notes the more permissive B-2 designation is desired “for the purpose of permitting restaurant or retail development.” The change was also sought in light of a forthcoming widening project on Van Voorhis Road.
The vote comes just as the city’s planning commission has directed staff to take a deep dive into what is and should be allowed in the city’s PRO districts, which are intended to serve as a buffer between business districts and neighborhoods.
That directive was initiated after representatives of the two remaining parcels in the Van Voorhis PRO district — 1197 and 1199 Van Voorhis Road, at the corner with Killarney Drive — came to the planning commission seeking the same switch to B-2.
The commission, which voted 4-2 to recommended approval for the two parcels at Van Voorhis and Burroughs back in March, was far less comfortable the second time around and tabled the matter during last week’s meeting, suggesting an update to code pertaining to PRO districts might be a better alternative.
Lastly, council passed resolutions approving applications for Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) Grants for design work on three projects — a sidewalk connecting the Morgantown Municipal Airport to the Mileground ($750,000); and streetscape projects for Spruce Street ($400,000) and Chestnut Street ($250,000).
Assistant City Manager Emily Muzzarelli said the city likely won’t know the outcome of its grant applications until March.
