MORGANTOWN — An ownership group that includes March-Westin President Jamie Ridgeway is looking to continue the revitalization of Westover’s riverfront, and it’s asking the city for help.
Ridgeway appeared before Westover City Council on Monday to ask the city to acquire a right-of-way owned by CSX Railroad, which is being used to provide access to the old Cyphert Industries buildings, located just across the Westover Bridge.
Ridgeway provided a handout showing significant investment has already been made to the various structures on Long Street, which currently house BGSE Group (aerospace), Mon EMS, Al Xander Co. (hydraulic components) and the future home of the Chestnut Brew Works brewery and tap house, at 94 Long Street.
The city is being asked to acquire CSX’s property in order to incorporate Long Street — between W.Va. 19 and where it turns into Monongahela Avenue — into the city’s road network.
Westover City Attorney Tim Stranko said there are two ways to go about getting the land in question.
“One is to buy it or ask CSX to otherwise convey it to us in some fashion. Of course the other is to exercise our power of eminent domain, which is a whole different process, but a process through which we’d litigate the cost of fair value back to CSX and we’d be liable for that value,” he said.
Both Stranko and attorney Robert Shuman, who helped present the project, indicated condemnation would be the likely route as CSX is notoriously difficult to work with.
Shuman went on to explain that if Long Street were to become a city street, Long Street to Monongahela Avenue to George Fanok Boulevard would essentially become a bypass for Holland Avenue, which would become particularly useful given the city’s plans for a major roadway and utility project along Holland.
“There’s a bigger picture here than just our project,” Shuman said.
Council asked the city engineer’s office to develop a project plan for review before taking the request up for consideration.
Also on Monday, council voted to codify its rules for city council proceedings.
It was explained that the ordinance is in line with the policies already being followed by council, with one addition pertaining to the recording of executive sessions.
Lastly, council approved a bid from C Harper for $29,580 for a 2022 Jeep Compass for the city’s code enforcement office, and $15,625 from JMS Heating and Cooling to replace a pair of 30-year-old furnaces in city hall.
Both were the lowest of three bids.
