MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Monongalia County Commission will start 2018 by attempting to address concerns with the county’s proposed subdivision regulations.
Commissioners Tom Bloom and Ed Hawkins announced on Morgantown AM on Friday plans to establish a committee of stakeholders to review and improve upon the proposal that was submitted to the commission in October. The Commission hopes to have County Planner Rich Wood and the Monongalia County Planning Commission President on the committee, along with six citizens, to offer feedback.
“We have to see exactly what is it that we’re missing and how to make sure there is safety and security for the area,” said Bloom.
Commissioners are hopeful the committee will be prepared to report back to the commission after 120 days with its findings. If all goes as expected, the committee would be given 120 days to research a specific land development and determine what would be needed where before reporting back to Commission with their findings.
“Right now it’s a thoughtful process that is ongoing,” Hawkins said. “It is not adopted, it is something that is going to be studied over the course, hopefully during the beginning of the year in the spring, come back and revisit it and see where we are.”
Both commissioners pointed out what the commission is considering is not a plan for countywide zoning, similar to what you find within the city limits of Morgantown.
“If this entire county were zoned, then the Planning Commission and other people could write the code the way we would like it solely for the county,” Hawkins said.
That’s not the case though, and by developing regulations for subdivisions the goal is to ensure that proper infrastructure — like roads and water runoff — are in place as the county continues to grow.
“What we’re trying to look at you can’t be like the city where you different areas with different zonings,” Bloom said. “I’m not talking zoning, but I’m talking areas of development and we have to treat them differently and that’s what we’re looking on at how we do that,” he said.
Experts from the Chamber of Commerce and County Commission have suggested county-wide economic growth is likely to continue at a fairly steady pace for at least 20 years.