KINGWOOD — The Kingwood Volunteer Fire Department is offering to give South Price Street to the city.
At this week’s meeting, Mayor Jean Guillot said the department offered to give Kingwood the street from Brown Avenue to the entrance to the Kingwood Pool.
Council unanimously agreed to proceed with the acquisition.
The mayor said, “85% of the road lies on Kingwood Volunteer Fire Department property, and there’s a sliver that belongs to the school district. And I’ve asked Superintendent [Steve] Wotring if they would do the same thing. So then there would be no more discussion about the ownership of that road.”
Questions about the road’s ownership arose last year, when the State Division of Highways said it was not responsible for maintaining Hospital Hill, at the end of the street. That section is not being offered to the city.
Recorder Bill Robertson said South Price has been used by residents for years. It leads to the pool, Firemen’s Field, Kingwood Elementary and city baseball fields. It meets the city’s specifications for roads to be accepted into the system, he said.
“It only makes sense to take it in,” Robertson said. “I think as long as we go to the pool or the old hospital entrance, that’s sufficient to get the traffic there.”
Guillot said the town will not be taking the sidewalks along the street. Councilman Mike Lipscomb said he wasn’t sure about that.
The city attorney needs a plat, a street map and a survey to proceed, Guillot said, and KVFD has a survey.
Condemnation notices
In other matters, Guillot said the city’s condemnation committee met and agreed notices should be sent to the owners of four properties to begin condemnation proceedings.
The properties are Sweet Annie’s on Price Street, which is falling down; 114 1/2 Chestnut St., where the roof is collapsing; the blue painted, empty apartment complex at 239 Morgan St.; and a burnt structure at 169 N. Sigler.
Once they receive the notices, the owners can request a hearing.
The city itself has a house, near the Maplewood Cemetery, that is looking decrepit, Guillot said. No one lives there; it is used for storage.
Council agreed the city supervisor should get estimates on power washing and painting the house, replacing the garage doors and other repairs.
Also Tuesday, council:
— Voted to provide a letter of support for Arthurdale Heritage’s request to be admitted to the National Park Service.
— Reappointed Chuck Miller and Randy Plum to the city sewer board for three-year terms.
— Accepted Michael Miller’s resignation from the Board of Zoning Appeals and appointed Scott Funk to fulfill the remainder of Miller’s term.
— Proclaimed Nov. 24-30 Christian Heritage Week.
— Set a May 1, 2020, deadline for businesses to screen or enclose Dumpsters that can be seen from the street, in accordance with city code.
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