MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — In a 2 to 1 vote Wednesday, the Monongalia County commission denied a rezoning request for a 30 acre plot of land on Bakers Ridge Road. Currently parts of the location are zoned as rural reserve (R-0) or single family residential (R-1). The vote would have rezoned parts of the land as neighborhood residential or (R-2).
County Commission President Tom Bloom strongly supported the measure. “Bakers Ridge is completely zoned R-2, all we were doing was going to give this person the same right that the people from Bakers Ridge have for the last 30 years,” he said backing his minority vote rezoning.
Dan Ryan Builders proposed a 40 home upscale development for the plot of land located not far from University High School. Commissioners told WAJR-AM the proposal they heard included the potential for developers to construct septic and other infrastructure.
Commissioner Eldon Callen who voted against rezoning said “They didn’t commit to do it, they just said trust us.”
But, Bloom said rezoning just made sense to him.
“It’s not a farm. There’s been a golf range out there. There’s been a pet hotel out there and it’s just land the people want to develop.”
Following Wednesday’s commission meeting, both Bloom and Callen maintained they were acting within constraints of the commission’s authority.
Bloom said planning developments is not the commission’s duty.
“It would then come back in front of the planning commission with the plots and how it would be developed. That was not the issue. The issue was is it zoned correctly or not. I don’t believe the two of them voted on that issue,” Bloom commented on Callen and Commissioner Ed Hawkins’ decision.
“We have one commissioner saying I think it ought to be this way. That is no standard. That allows for favoritism and misalignment and really who is lining whose pocket,” countered Callen.
Both Callen and Bloom agreed the issue would likely resurface.