KINGWOOD — Kingwood plans to ask the Kingwood Volunteer Fire Department to deed over a portion of South Price Street to the city.
At Tuesday’s council meeting, Mayor Jean Guillot said the plat provided to the town by the KVFD shows, “from Brown Avenue on down Price Street, it is clearly marked as belonging to the fire department.”
He proposed the city ask the fire department to deed over the portion of the road from Brown Avenue to the Kingwood Pool, which the city owns.
“You’ve got the elementary school there, you’ve got the pool there. Anything down below, I don’t see any use for the city,” the mayor said.
“Down below” is the section of road referred to locally as Hospital Hill. It goes past the former Preston Memorial Hospital, which is also owned by KVFD, to Shower Bath Road.
Council voted 4-0-3 to direct its attorney to look into the matter, with Councilmen Josh Fields and Joe Seese, and Recorder Bill Robertson abstaining because they are members of the fire department.
Guillot said he believes the agreement would include provisions for the fire department to use the road during the Buckwheat Festival.
KVFD President Tom Robinson said Wednesday the road is part of land the department bought years ago, even before South Price was built, when it was the Brown farm.
“We’re still hoping that the State of West Virginia will come back and maintain it like they always have,” Robinson said of Hospital Hill. The State Division of Highways has said it only maintained the hill previously because of the hospital. School buses still use the road.
Also at the meeting:
- It was noted that there is a vacancy on the Zoning Board. Anyone interested can contact city hall.
- Council gave Main Street Kingwood its quarterly donation of $2,500 without discussion.
- Police Chief Charlie Haney requested body cameras for city officers. The request was tabled until council can look at the budget. Each camera is $499, with an additional $1,093 the first year for programming and $845 each of the next four years for licenses and fees.
- Council agreed to take applications for an officer to fill a vacancy.
- Council unanimously passed an amendment to the zoning ordinance to regulate fencing in town.
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