A second public meeting will be held on a proposal from PPG to abandon several streets in the Kent Addition of Marshall County after 20 residents from that area brought concerns to the county commission Tuesday.
During a special session of the commission, Mike Kelly, representing PPG, presented a map of the area located south of Moundsville. The map displayed the property PPG owns, as well as property owned by Dominion Resources and property used for housing by residents. Kelly said several roads and alleys have not been used for quite some time and are surrounded by PPG property, and requested they officially be abandoned.
"We're not asking that access be limited or changed for residents," he said. "These roads are not being used by the public."
Article Photos
Photo by J.W. Johnson Jr.
Mike Kelly, representing PPG, explains a proposed street abandonment Tuesday during a special meeting of the Marshall County Commission.
Kelly and Scott Pleskonko, acting engineer for PPG, said the property would be used by Dominion for storage and for the implementation of a railway to be used for loading and holding empty cars.
The rail would be adjacent to the existing railway, though he said he could not speak about the details of Dominion's plan.
Several residents voiced concern about the uncertainty of the project, asking why a representative from Dominion was not present to answer questions.
Resident William Cody said he and other residents use the streets in question for recreation and are afraid the abandonment of the roads would lead to Dominion or PPG attempting to buy their homes.
"They aren't being very clear on what they're going to do," he said. "We are afraid they are going to push us out."
Cody also said a large piece of land has already been stripped and leveled near the neighborhood, causing a shift in the watershed in the area.
He said he is fearful that if the area sees heavy rain for an extended period of time, a disaster could happen. Pleskonko said he was unsure of the particulars of that project, though he said permits from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection would have been followed during the course of work.
Commissioner Jason "Jake" Padlow said he understood the residents' concerns, though he assured them the county's past dealing with Dominion and PPG have gone smoothly.
"They have never tried to stick something in our back, and they've always been honest and upfront with us," he said.
Padlow said the residents' questions and concerns would be taken to Dominion to be answered before the next commission meeting, scheduled for 9:30 a.m. July 10. That meeting will also serve as the continuation of a public hearing on the proposal, expected to occur about 10:30 a.m.
