FAYETTEVILLE, W.V. (LOOTPRESS) – The Fayette County Commission has decided to postpone making a decision on the Planning Commission’s recommendation for the Route 19 Corridor Management Plan. A decision will be made during the next commission meeting on June 4.
On May 10, the Fayette County Planning Commission held a meeting at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building to hear public comments concerning the possible amendment and removal of the Route 19 Corridor Management Plan proposed by the Fayette County Commission.
After hearing from numerous residents, the planning commission voted to recommend that the county commission undertake a review and conduct a study to determine how the community feels about the possible amendment and what changes, if any, they want to see be made to the plan.
Read more about the May 10 meeting here.
During Friday’s regular meeting, the commission was set to either approve or deny the planning commission’s recommendation; however, they decided to postpone the decision altogether after New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA) Executive Director Jenna Belcher stated that her team could provide the funding for a comprehensive study.
Belcher stated that the NRGRDA has the resources to seek and provide funding for this project and would love to assist the county by doing so.
“At this point, the NRGRDA is happy to oversee the process and fund the study that would ultimately determine the business tolerance of the comprehensive plan and the Route 19 plan,” she said. “We would love to figure out how we use this process to figure out the next step as far as priorities in the community.”
After discussing possible facets of the survey with the commissioners, Belcher said that they could develop multiple studies- including information such as traffic studies, housing infrastructure, potential revenue, and even an incentive study focused on Fayette County’s outdoor recreational economy- to get a well-rounded view of where the county currently sits and what changes need to be made.
According to Belcher, the NRGRDA would begin the process by putting out a request for proposal (RFP) to locate a firm that could hire a contractor and conduct the survey.
Commission President John Breneman expressed his interest in the NRGRDA’s offer but stated that the survey would need to be completed by October of 2021 in order for it to be reviewed, approved and submitted to the state along with the county’s Comprehensive Plan Update, which must be turned in by December 31, 2021.
Belcher seemed confident that the survey can be completed in time and said she will formulate an RFP and present it to the commission during the June 4 meeting.
The commission will decide whether or not to continue with the study at that time.