KINGWOOD — A contentious meeting ended without a solution for a Kingwood businessman who wants access from W.Va. 7 to his property across from the Kingwood Walmart.
Robbie Peddicord has been trying for about four years to access the land. He has financing in place to build a hotel and restaurant with bar.
The recent meeting was the second arranged by the Preston County Commission with Peddicord and State Division of Highways (DOH) District 4 officials to work toward a resolution.
Peddicord originally proposed entering his property about 300 feet from the existing traffic light at Walmart. But if the current 55 mph speed limit remains, he was told he would need 500 feet of clear vision in both directions for motorists entering and leaving the property.
District 4 engineer Don Williams said a traffic study showed that among 100 cars, the 85th percentile speed traveled was 52 mph. Based on that, the DOH could not support reducing the speed limit to 45 mph, he said.
Commissioner Dave Price said that, “with all due respect, there may be one place between Walmart and Kingwood where 55 fits.” He pointed out the Ford dealership, a church and several other businesses along the stretch of W.Va. 7 where traffic is entering and exiting the roadway.
Williams said at the meeting the DOH estimated it would cost about $211,200 if Peddicord were to put his entrance in at the traffic light and he would have to cover all the costs.
“That is just an estimate,” Williams stressed.
Peddicord said he’d rather not have that expense.
Williams said the DOH never covers costs for private developments. When the Kingwood Walmart was built, the company paid for the traffic light and road changes, as well as widening the lanes at the four-way stop at Reedsville.
“This is how we would treat any development,” Williams said. “There’s a process and we would treat you the same as anyone else.”
As the DOH has worked on the project, it discovered than an error was made in granting the permit for adjacent property owned by Robin and Bobby Goodwin Jr. The DOH erroneously used 45 mph as the road speed when issuing Goodwins’ access permit, Williams said, and the Goodwins are voluntarily making changes in their entrance at the request of the DOH.
Delegate Buck Jennings, R-Preston, asked if legislation needs to be introduced to change the policies for speed changes? As the discussion became more heated, Williams said the DOH has prepared the information requested by the commission and Peddicord in the time frame requested.
Williams also said the DOH — and he personally — take their responsibility to drivers and potential liabilities seriously. Commissioner Craig Jennings countered that the DOH isn’t responsible if he disobeys the speed limit.
“We’ve got sections of road where we have different speed limits,” Craig Jennings said, pointing to the intersection of W.Va. 92 and Gladesville Road as an example.
Ultimately Peddicord said he would submit engineering drawings — prepared at his expense — with a different proposal. Williams said the DOH will review them.
