MORGANTOWN, W.Va. Downtown property owner Lucien Lewin returned to the Morgantown City Council to express concerns about safety and his business.
Lewin said the crowds of people who assemble daily continue loitering and creating health issues. Lewin told councilors he recently walked down to the Monongahela Building and back and said he was asked for money on three occasions. After returning to the area behind Wall Street, he observed a large gathering of people and reported it to the police.
“Later, there was a large number of people lounging around behind Milan Puskar Health Right and on Wall Street,” Lewin said. “So, I went up and asked to see an officer. I actually just went up and reported it at the police station, which I do often.”
Lewin said improvements made to the rear of the Aull Center have reduced loitering, trespassing, and rodent issues. However, rodent issues persist in areas where trash containers are not adequate and when trash ends up on the ground. Additionally, Lewin said the rodent problems are aggravated by the large groups of people that camp along the side of Milan Puskar Health Right.
Lewin said the downtown issues are preventing him from bringing new businesses to the area. A recent potential tenant rejected downtown as a location for a new coffee shop.
“Because I’m always looking for a place to get a cup of coffee when I’m in downtown Morgantown,” Lewin said. “He said he wasn’t going to do it because of the environment downtown—people sleeping in the doorways and lounging around—it’s just too much.”
During his report, City Manager Kim Haws reported that things in downtown were improving slightly. He said recently he’d seen several people using sidewalk benches, talking, and visiting along High Street.
“Patrols are being revved up by the police department, I think, and they are an additional ambassador for the downtown area,” Haws said. “I think it’s really starting to turn the corner, we’re not there yet, but I can feel the momentum building.”
Haws said the city now regularly power washes sidewalks in downtown, and flowers are being planted. Haws said the partnership with Main Street Morgantown has been the reason for the positive shift in the downtown.
As these improvements are being made Haws said he has seen more downtown businesses conduct their own clean up campaigns.
“Frankly, that’s what it’s going to take: the city maintaining what it really needs to take care of and private enterprise taking care of the buildings and the facilities they own,” Haws said. “And I feel that happening.”